No Strings Attached?
by Vale-46-4eva
Summary: A night of drunken passion leads to an endless string of sexual affairs. An exciting prospect for many. But a complicated scenario, when it just so happens that the guy you're screwing, is your Father's Fiancées Son, your soon-to-be Step Brother!
1. Prologue

**Welcome =D **

**This is a new story I've been contemplating posting for a few weeks now – so here it finally is. It's a lot different to my other fic and won't be as long either. It will consist of mostly 3****rd**** person chapters, with the occasional diary entry from Bellas POV.**

**I hope you enjoy and please feel free to review!**

**Also, I don't have a Beta, so I apologise if there are any mistakes :(**

**And let's not forget the creator of these awesome characters – thanks Stephenie ;)**

**Now on with the chapter… **

Dear Diary,

This is the first time I've ever written in one of these. But it's doing my head in. I need to vent so here goes…

I hate this. And I hate him. I hate that my life is changing and I can't do anything about it. I hate that every time I wake up for school nowadays, there's a queue for the bathroom. I hate having cold showers, and I hate that the milks always gone when I come to eat my cereal. I hate it all, full stop!

But I can't stay mad for too long, not when I see how happy he is. Not after 18 years of watching him plod along through life completely alone. No pillar of support or shoulder to cry on. Only mine, and there's only so much one can do for their father, before it starts getting kinda weird, you know?

So when he told me he was getting married, I was overwhelmed with happiness for him. Finally something good was coming Charlie's way, and I couldn't have been more thrilled.

I'd always known they were pretty serious, well, as serious as one couple could be in a long distance relationship. But I'd never expected marriage, and all that comes with it… I say that with slight vexation, as things are a lot more complicated now than ever before.

Let me take you back to the beginning…

You see, it all started when they'd met some 6 years ago, in a hotel in New York. Charlie and I had taken a long weekend away there, I was 12 at the time and on my school summer holidays.

I remember the moment when they'd first met like it was yesterday, it was at breakfast on the morning we'd arrived, and they'd both gone for the coffee pot at the same time. You know how it is, hands connect, electricity sparks fly and suddenly you're in it for life.

To say it was incredibly uncomfortable for me to witness, was an understatement. No 12 year old should ever have to endure their own father using cheesy pick-up lines with some random chick. So imagine my surprise when they actually worked! I guess in a weird way I was really quite proud of him, if you push aside all the cringing.

So a weekend away of father-daughter bonding turned into something very different. Sight seeing for one went right out the window, and the best view I had all weekend consisted of the Hotels Garden and Swimming Pool. Not exactly what I'd hoped for, but oh well. I couldn't complain as I watched from a distance, as my father and this stunning woman grew ever closer.

If I'm honest, it was everything I'd ever wanted… to see him happy.

Well, almost everything. You see I've missed out one minor and _extremely_ complicated detail, I suppose I should probably mention it, considering it is now the bane of my existence. Because whilst I was overjoyed with welcoming another female into the household, I had never anticipated she'd be a single mother.

Now here lies the complication.

Edward Cullen. Potentially the cockiest man I have ever laid eyes on. But also the handsomest, sexiest and most charming one as well - I'd never openly tell him that though, he's already got me wrapped around his little finger as a consequence of my distinct lack of restraint.

5 years ago, when we'd first met, it hadn't been much of a problem. He was 14 at the time, and barely had the patience for a silly 12 year old girl. He mostly teased me and pulled my hair, whilst our parents went off to do god-knows-what in the bedroom.

When we played together, he would cheat, when we swam together, he would splash my face with water until I cried.

I think it toughened me up though, because as time went by, I gave as good as I got. And with every splash he threw at me, I would splash right back. I even kicked him a few times, just to get the upper hand. It worked and he backed off, never attempting to kick me back… clearly that was a line that Edward would never cross, and I was pretty happy about that.

As the years have gone by though, he's started to mellow out.

Well, to a certain degree. He still teases me now and then, apparently that never gets old, but no longer does he pull my hair or chase me around the room. No. He uses other tactics to get one up on me now; that being his smile, his charm and of course, his body.

I should tell you that this little escapade of ours is still relatively fresh. It was only this year in fact, when they'd visited for Easter vacation, that he'd first kissed me... We were at some house party for my friend's birthday, and we were both slightly tipsy following a fair few drinks. It was around 2am by the time we'd walked home in a dreary daze, somehow managing to get back in one piece.

After clambering into my PJ's, I went down into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. And that's when it happened. Taking me off guard, he pinned me up against the kitchen sink and told me how badly he wanted to kiss me.

I was stunned at first, but having had very little action lately (my last boyfriend, Jacob, I realise now was a bit of a pansy in the bedroom department), and enjoying the feeling of his domineering body pressed hard against mine, I didn't really protest, and we spent minutes upon minutes feeling parts of each other we'd never quite imagined.

It wasn't until the next morning, when it hit me that I'd kissed my father's girlfriends son, that I felt I'd committed an awful crime. That led me to the bathroom, where I chucked up the majority of the previous nights booze.

I spent the following few days trying to ignore him. But it was virtually impossible, given he was staying in the same house as me. And then the ball started to roll… and I honestly couldn't believe my ears when he said it was the best thing we'd ever done. And later, even propositioning me to some no-strings-attached-sex. Claiming I wanted it just as much as he did!

What a load of piffle!

Of course he'd been right on the mark, and deep down I would honestly comply with every word he'd said. But _how could_ I agree to it, when our parents were in a loving committed relationship. It seemed so very wrong, despite the ache down below, which I tried to ignore, as it screamed at me, telling me it felt so right!

And then _it_ happened, a week later on the eve of them leaving. Charlie and Esme' had gone out for a meal, leaving us alone and with half a bottle of their red wine. I was far too comfortable and ridiculously confident following my first large glass of wine. And before I knew what was happening, we were sprawled across my bed, clothes flung recklessly around the room, and our bodies interlocked like tiny magnetic puzzle pieces.

That's the speeded up version of it anyway. The next day they left and went back home to Philadelphia, and we spent the next two months texting each other, Edwards texts more often than not reeking of sexual innuendo's, whilst we planned a date for our next visit.

If I'm honest, at first it had all been rather exciting. Yes, we were breaking the rules to a certain extent, but we both knew where we stood. And the thought of getting some incredibly hot casual sex at every visit, had me tingling with anticipation.

But then the worst happened, or the best, whichever way you look at it.

Charlie announced they were getting married… Great for him, not so great for me though. And to my horror, the people around me started using the 'B' word. I was not amused.

'So when's your _brother_ coming to stay again Bella?' Alice, my oldest best friend asked me one school day.

Jessica, another one of my friends, but slightly more irritating, came out with – 'Oh Bella, maybe next time your _brothers_ in town, we could all go out. I have to admit, he's totally gorgeous'.

I wanted to punch her.

But when Charlie said it one morning… 'You know I've always liked the thought of you having an older _brother_; someone to look out for you when I'm not around. I think this will be good for the both of us Bellz, I really do'. I smiled in return, but inside wanting to die.

So now here we are. It's early June and Esme' has taken two weeks out of work to come and stay with us. They're trying to arrange the details for the wedding, which is scheduled for early August. She's brought Edward along with her of course. He's finished uni for the Summer Break, so he'll be around a lot now he doesn't have much work on. I'm still at school, unfortunately, as I don't break up until mid July. So I'm having to force myself to concentrate on my work, whilst trying my best to ignore all that retched wedding talk.

I guess I should get used to having other people around now though, because our new house, a mile away from here, is almost ready for us to move into. We'll be moving in a few weeks after the weddings all sorted. I'm pretty sad to be leaving my childhood home, but excited at the prospect of getting a bigger room.

It's just the thought of everything changing. I'll have a step mom; I've never had a mother before... that should be interesting! Edward will constantly be around, as we'll all be living in the same house together… I'm not sure how that one will work… no doubt he'll create a life of living hell for me. And there will no doubt come a time when we'll be forced to put a stop to it; the sex I mean. It's already getting a little to intense for my liking as it is. Every time we're together I fear for getting caught. I guess one of these days we'll just have to talk it out. But for now…

"_Bella, dinners ready!"_

"_Ok dad, coming!"_

Right, that's my dad calling me, I better go! Until next time…

_Bella Swan_ xxx

**A/N: I hope that wasn't too bad. I always hate first chapters, and particularly with this one - I tried to give you as much background info as I could, so we could get right into the meat of it =]**

**Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think and thanks for reading :) xxx**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys :) Thanks so much for all the comments/alerts and favourites, you have no idea how happy I was when I woke up and had like 40 emails from =D**

**You people are awesome! Please keep it up =D!**

**Anyway, on a more serious note, someone told me is taking down some of the M rated fics due to the sexual content? :S Anyone know anything about this? If so PM me, cause I'm totally out of the loop and would cry if my fics got taken down :(**

**Just to be safe though, my LJ account is - bloodtype46(dot)livejournal(dot)****com**

**There's nothing really on there atm (as I still don't know how to post fics to my journal xD), but if for whatever reason my fics do get taken down *cries* I will post all the chapters onto there! So make a note of the address just in case ;)**

**I'll probably add the link onto my profile page as well if needed, just in case!**

**Also, there won't be a schedule for this fic. Like my other one I'll just update when I get chance. Hopefully once a week at least though :)**

**Disclaimer – Stephenie owns everything =]**

**Also I don't have a beta so this wont be proofed. Apologises if there are any mistakes!**

**Ok, enough of my rambling =] … hope you enjoy…**

Chapter 1:

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz _

She stirred in her sleep, flipping her body over to stuff her head into her pillow; hoping to drown out that sound of monotony. But the buzz of the alarm clock grew louder and louder, alerting her that it was time for school. Another day had arrived.

Flapping an arm out to one side, she smacked down onto the small silver item, putting it out of its misery and silencing the room completely. She then lay there with heavy eyes, just enjoying the few moments of relaxation before all hell would break loose yet again, but the serene moment was abruptly cut short, and a sudden bash on the door forced her to wake; her body twitched, startled at the sound.

"Alright alright, I'm up!" she called out with impatience, dragging her sleepy body into an upright seating position and releasing a long, soundly exhale. She glanced at the diary she'd recently bought which sat on her bedside table, before deciding to hide it under her pillow, ready for the next time she needed to spill her guts out.

With two bare feet landing on the fluffy beige carpet, she made her way towards the bathroom.

And that's when she saw him. His bare back was on show to the world as he wore only his dark blue sweat pants. She knew it was all for her benefit no doubt, everything he did was _always_ _for her_ benefit, and it never went unnoticed; she couldn't help but be slightly mesmerised by how toned he was.

"See something you like?" he smirked through the reflection of the mirror, as he noticed her lingering eyes; a cheeky grin of success now spread across his face at her interest.

"I need the bathroom, are you done yet?" she quickly snapped out of her state of admiration, as she stood at the doorway, hands on her hips un-amused. Never a morning person, especially when faced with Edwards smug comments. She was like a can of fizzy pop come 8am; always at risk of exploding.

"Hold your horses!" he exclaimed, "You know a face this attractive needs to be taken care of" he added, as he smeared cream all over his skin.

"Yes well, I do realise some of us need longer bathroom time than others just to look half decent. But I'm going to be late for school! Now hurry the hell up!" yelled Bella, grabbing the towel off the rack before throwing it at him in frustration. It hit his back before sliding downwards onto the tiled floor.

"Hey hey!" said Charlie as he tried to make peace. "What's with the racket Bellz!? We all need the bathroom, just wait your turn … sorry Edward, Bella's never been much of a morning person" he gave him a pointed look before grinning and walking away. She glared back as she watched Edwards smirk of delight reappear in the mirror. Always the golden boy in Charlie's eyes.

"_Don't I know it_" muttered a smiling Edward, as he cocked an eyebrow at her before turning around. "Right, I'm all done. Bathroom's yours".

"Bout time" she said in a whine, as she entered the bathroom, pulling the shower curtain open before turning back to face him. "You could give Jessica Stanley a run for her money. She practically lives in front of the mirror as well!"

"_Jessica.. Jessica?"_ he thought for a moment, scratching his head. "Oh yeah, blonde hair, great rack?"

She responded by slamming the door in his face, to which he just laughed in amusement. Oh how he loved to get under her skin…

……………………………………

"Bellz, I've given Edward the keys to the truck, he'll be driving you to school today ..." said Charlie as he hauled a pile of books and papers onto the dining room table, "I'd drive you myself, but I've got a mountain of paperwork to do," he added, as Esme' walked passed, mumbling something under her breath about how she 'must ring the caterers'. In a way, school was actually a godsend for Bella, it certainly got her out of the whole wedding drama, and for that she was eternally grateful.

"Fine. Let's go" she gave Edward a blank and laboured look before stomping out towards the car.

"Don't get too excited, will you" sniggered a delighted Edward, giving Charlie a pat on the back before following her out…

"_Drive safely!" _Esme' called out prior to Edward closing the front door. And after a few steps down the driveway, he jumped inside of the truck beside an awaiting Bella.

"Right. Let's get this show on the road shall we" he said as he rubbed his hands together. "So, how'd you even drive one of these things anyway?" he asked casually as they sat in the front seats ready to set off.

"You're kidding me" she looked at him as if he had two heads.

"What? I've only ever driven cars. A trucks a totally different animal" he answered in his defence.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. _"Brilliant, just brilliant"_ she muttered through gritted teeth. "Just make sure you double pump the clutch. After that, it's pretty straight forward".

He nodded, taking a moment to suss out the mechanics of it all, but an anxious Bella had no time for pleasantries. "Well come on then!"

"Geeze. Keep your panties on! What's crawled up your ass today!?"

"_You!_ You're annoying me".

"Yeah, you wish... Maybe later though," he gave her a teasing sideways glance, before winking at her.

She huffed in irritation, her face turning red in a fluster. Looking down at her watch it ticked to 8.50am. It was no use, she was already late. "Just drive Edward, and for god's sake, get me there in one piece!"

No other words were spoken after that, the car simply filled with a tense and bitter atmosphere, and it wasn't until they'd reached the school sidewalk that they even acknowledged each others presence.

"Thanks" she said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

"Oh _stop_, you're making me blush" he mocked, rolling his eyes before looking at her, but all he received was a glare from Bella, whilst she unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her school bag from where it lay at her feet.

"Right, I'll be here to pick you up at 3.30. Don't be late!" he told her sternly, his hands still on the steering wheel.

"I can always get the bus if it's such a problem for you. You know I wouldn't want to put you out or anything" she said sweetly, forcing a fake smile as she looked at him.

"Oh Bella, we both know that's not true" he teased her, a small smile now playing on his own lips, and she knew exactly what he was referring too.

She snickered under her breath, trying to stifle it; her head shaking a little as she clambered out of the truck. Slamming the door behind her she lingered through the window. "Like you'd have it any other way Edward". She said with a smirk, her eyes growing bigger as she looked at him, before she turned on her heel to hurry up the main school steps; feeling rather smug as a grin of delight spread from cheek to cheek…

……………………………………

As agreed, well, ordered to be precise, Bella was sat on the steps by 3.30pm, waiting for Edward's arrival. He'd turned up some 5 minutes later, claiming he'd taken a wrong turning which led to him being late. But she shrugged it off with minimal words. Not feeling in the mood for much conversation… hormones, no doubt.

By 5pm, Charlie and Esme' were still not home, they'd left a note saying they were off Wedding cake shopping and wouldn't be back until late. So the house was relatively silent. A perfect opportunity for revision, if only Bella's pesky brain would kick into gear.

Following several minutes of staring at the same page, the words all merging into one meaningless blotch on the page, she threw it aside. Making a pact with herself to finish it later when she was better focused, whilst her feet led her wandering towards 'Edwards room'…

She tapped lightly on the door, hearing a mumble which she assumed was from the TV. When he welcomed her inside with a distant, "Come in," she nervously opened the door.

She stood like a sore thumb in the entrance, while she waited for him to look at her.

"So how's it going?" he asked as he spotted her at the corner of his eye. He was laid out across the bed, his arms tucked beneath his head to prop himself up as he watched some random TV show.

She shrugged, "its algebra, it's barely going at all actually".

"Hmm" he mumbled, "maths was never my strong point. Physical Education..." he gave her a nod as he looked at her, "...now that's my kind of subject," his eyebrow cocked up on one side.

She couldn't help but smile through disbelief, always astounded by how utterly smug he was. And with almost every sentence that came from his mouth, it was underlined with some sort of sexual connotation; meaningless to everyone else, but blatantly obvious to Bella.

She chose to ignore it and stepped further inside. "So, what did you do today?"

"Nothing much" he shrugged, pushing himself upwards. "Went up town, met a friend from uni" he said as he walked over towards the TV to flick the off-switch.

"Really? I didn't know you had any friends around here".

"Yeah, just the one" he nodded, "Tanya, she lives a couple of blocks away".

"Oh …" Now _that_ caught her attention; another female was in his life? She tried to act natural and remember their no strings deal. "Ok. How come you never mentioned her before?"

"Why should I?" he asked with a shrug, before his expression changed into something else, and he stared at her a little harder, "…Are you jealous?"

She scoffed feebly, "as if".

"You know, it's ok if you are" he looked at her with a straight face, but there was a hidden smile that glazed across his eyes; clearly in love with the idea of a jealous Bella.

"I'm _not_" she spoke more firmly this time. "I was just… curious, that's all".

"_Oh_. So curiosity led you in here, did it?" he asked lightly.

"I don't know. I just, wanted to talk" she huffed, getting tired of his questions.

"Well we both know that's not true. You coming in here had nothing to do with us talking" he gave her a pointed look.

She felt her hands clench into fists through aggravation, never having met someone that could become so infuriating, so fast. She huffed, "_Ugh_. I can't be around you when you're like this…I'm going" she said as she went for the door. But a hand on the surface of the door slammed it shut, preventing her from leaving. She jumped a little, startled by his actions.

"_No you don't"_ he hushed into her ear, feeling his smile against her skin causing her to shiver.

She was trapped. His arms either side of her, enclosing her in as she now stared at the white wooden door in front of her. His hand at her waist then encouraged her to turn around to face him. She sighed; her back leant against the door as she helplessly looked into his eyes. She'd found herself in this position far too many times, always with that little voice at the back of her mind, telling her how wrong it is … but the fact that she liked it, that she craved it more than anything else in the world, was the reason she didn't slam him in the gut and run a mile.

A soft smile lay across his face, and she melted in his arms; his lips going straight for her neck. It wasn't rough at first, it was passionate, yes, but all rather tender for someone like Edward.

His hands slid down the sides of her back, cupping her butt cheeks in his palms as he lifted her up. She was rather thankful she'd chosen to wear a skirt today, as her legs entwined with ease around his waist. Her mouth now searching to meet his.

They connected, lips touching, tongues tasting, and the moment turned to a blur. One second she was upright, pressed against the door in his arms, the next she was parallel, laid out across his bed, and his hands were already flush up her back, pushing away any restrictive material and tossing it to one side.

She lay beneath him; her bra still covering a little of her modesty whilst she squirmed at the pressured sensation below. She needed this, she needed him, _now_.

In an anxious hurry, her hands leant down to fiddle with his buckle, but she stopped at his unexpected chuckle, his soft laugh a hot breath in her ear.

"_Were a little impatient today, aren't we?"_ he smirked in a husky voice as he looked down at her. Her wide eyes stared straight back at him. _"It's usually the other way around"_ his eyebrows rose and fell in his amusement, before he unlatched his buckle and forced them down. His jeans soon finding their way to the floor.

She moaned as he released her from her underwear, the cool air riding upwards, making her tremble with pleasure. That was quickly replaced by a warm body closing the gap, as he slipped inside her like a silky glove.

They rode it out then, with her hand on his back, her fingernails almost digging into his skin, pushing him further towards her with every plunge, as she placed her legs out wide, flat against the mattress.

She was almost completely lost in the action, about to reach the highest of the high, stars in her eyes, when the sound of a car pulling up onto the driveway caught her attention.

She jolted at the sudden sound_. "Edward_" she breathed, her face in a panic as she grasped onto his shoulder to alert him.

"_Don't, you dare stop!_" his strained voice managed to order, well aware of the situation, but it was doubtful he'd stop if a meteor hit him, as he continued to pound into her body, his hands at her waist and hip, guiding her with every movement.

She reluctantly let her eyes flutter shut as his hand pulled her leg further around him, trying to immerse herself in the moment as they finally reached their climax; the ache in her lower body finally massaged to release. The sudden stress of the situation had made it even better than before, and they were both limp with relaxation after he'd pulled himself away from her and collapsed like a lump onto the bed by her side.

_Sheer bliss…_

It was the sound of the front door slamming shut that forced them back into action, and Bella was the first to spring to her feet, hurrying in pulling on her clothes, as she feared for getting caught.

"_Don't stress alright, they wont come up here"_ he tried to calm her, as he zipped his jeans and threw his top over his dishevelled hair.

"_How do you know!?"_ she fired back in a high pitched tone, as she tried to keep her voice down. Her hands rushed in straightening her skirt which was all askew, before they were both left startled as the door abruptly swung open.

"Oh, here you both are," Esme' smiled, as she poked her head around the doorframe, whilst Edward and Bella both stood awkwardly side by side. "Charlie… they're in Edward's room, I think they were hiding from us!" she chuckled as she called back to her fiancé who was down the stairs.

"No. Of course not" Bella tried to smile, but slightly distracted by her pounding heartbeat. "We were just, erm…" she ran a sweaty hand through her hair.

"Watching tele" Edward added, as Bella struggled to answer. She flashed him a look of thankful relief as he answered for her.

"Oh ok, well we've got some samples for the Wedding Cake downstairs, thought you'd fancy a taste."

"Great. I love cake" she exclaimed like a dork, immediately hating her response, whilst becoming even more aware of how heavy her breathing was, and hoping it wasn't too noticeable. She swallowed hard, clearing her throat as she tried to calm down.

Edward nodded in response, "Lead the way mother" he said, his hand showing her the way out.

They shuffled out the door, a look of resigned exhaustion passing from Bella's eyes to Edwards. He frowned as he tried to decipher her expression, sensing from the look in her eyes, that she was now contemplating giving this up.

A few risks were certainly a nuisance for Edward, but were never problematic enough for him to want to put a halt to their little agreement, for Bella on the other hand, it was all getting too much, and despite how much it grieved her, she was quickly starting to realise it. Never would she want to see the look on her fathers face if he ever caught them together; the upset, the disappointment and confusion. The thought of it had her stomach curdling.

So both made their way down the stairs with completely different thoughts; with Bella determined to put a stop to things before they got anymore out of hand, and with Edward, adamant to show Bella that quitting was definitely _not_ an option…

The question was … who would have the upper hand?

**A/N - Thanks for reading and please review =] It spurs me onto write more xD**

**xxx**


	3. Chapter 2

**You guys are awesome =] I woke up to even more reviews/alerts and favourites!!**

**I cant thank you enough... and because of your kindness I've decided to post the next chapter two days early! :O**

**I was originally thinking every thursday evening would be my update day, try and get some kind of structure going (as I finish work thurs for two days), but heck, I'll throw in an update now xD **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! Most of them will include Sexual Content- it shouldnt be too overpowering though.. I hope.**

**Please enjoy and leave me some love/comments/questions =]**

Chapter 2:

..(11pm)..

Dear Diary,

I'm back again. And what a day it's been. I don't think my hearts recovered…

We were reckless, and as a consequence, almost got busted.

I still feel sick from the thought of it. And I can barely look into Edwards eyes now, as every time I do, he has that distinct look of confusion, like he's trying to figure out what I'm thinking. I'm guessing he can sense my trepidation.

It's not like I want this to end… not yet anyway. In fact, between you and me, I don't think I could stand being around him every single day, without _actually_ being with him. We've gone too far now, felt too much. It was meant to be merely a physical act, and maybe it still is for Edward, but the feeling he evokes within me, I can't seem to get enough of.

I'm certain I never meant to fall this far. When did it all suddenly become so intense? What was originally meant as a casual and secretive fling, has turned into a craving, something I can't live without…

When I turned up at his bedroom door this afternoon, he'd been right - it was never just to talk; we've never been very good at that to be honest, conversation has never been our strong point, and because of it, Edward immediately saw through-me. I tried to stay calm, but as always, I ended up losing my head, getting frustrated and almost storming out.

I would've been gutted if he had just let me go without a question asked. But he didn't; a part of me always knowing he would never just let me walk away.

I wish I could put into words the sensations I feel when his smooth hands run across my skin. He always knows what buttons to push and which parts to caress; he gets better every time were together, I can't tell you enough.

But then the worst happened. And I suddenly got a reality check. My heart almost stopped beating as I heard my dad's car pull up onto the driveway. My immediate reaction being to stop, but my brain failed to connect with my body, and _that_ accompanied with Edward's determination to carry on, meant we took a major risk and rode it out.

I hated him at first. He'd taken control of the situation for the wrong reasons, opting for fate over anything rational. And if in that moment we'd have been caught, I know I would've blamed him for everything.

Truth was though, I didn't want to stop either.

He's like a drug to me now, being with him helps me relax. I get the chance to forget about life's little dramas, mostly surrounding my School work, and for just a moment or two he's like my very own real life de-stress ball.

How could I possibly give that up!?

So here I am, hoping that by writing it down, it'll all suddenly make sense to me. I'll get the answers I need and everything will turn out just fine. If only you could write back to me, diary.

Some advice would be great.

For now though, its time for bed…

_Bella _xxx

* * *

(3am)

Edward had barely slept a wink; thoughts from the previous day racking his brain. He dreaded the day Bella would turn up at his room and tell him it was over; never to happen again. He knew this couldn't last forever, but they were young and single, a seemingly perfect match more or less, like bread and butter; so why couldn't they just enjoy their time together?

After tossing and turning for what felt like forever, the digital clock beside his bed appearing to be frozen in time, an anxious Edward slid out of bed and tip-toed his way across the landing…

He knew he shouldn't, that he would only be taking advantage of Bella's dreary state. But he needed to show her _why_ they couldn't give this up. And if that meant sneaking into her room at 3am, and stripping her from her clothes whilst she was still half asleep, then that's what he'd do. And he knew she'd only be thanking him after he'd finished…

He entered the room with extreme caution; an unwanted creak from the floorboards beneath his feet, sounding like it came through a loud speaker. He inwardly cussed as the sound almost blew his plan to shreds, before quietly closing the door behind him and stepping inside.

Her diary which lay neatly on the bedside table briefly caught his attention, and for a second of sheer selfishness and intrigue, Edward contemplated reading it. But he couldn't, never wanting to hurt her like that. And seeing Bella's sleeping form beneath the quilt he quickly became distracted.

The slight moan that slipped passed her lips was like music to his ears, and the room suddenly felt like a sweltering summer's day; she was so mouth watering to him.

His trousers left his legs in no seconds at all, and the condom quickly found its way onto his length. Those strong, large hands of his, lingered for a moment, enjoying the feeling as he squeezed and applied gentle pressure, but the sleeping beauty not 4 feet away from him was just too good to resist. And he focused his attention onto her. Time to give Bella Swan the best dream she could ever imagine…

His hands reached down to grab the end of the duvet, flapping it open, and she shivered under the quilt at the sudden draft. Her eyes remained closed however, thankfully she was still very much asleep. He smiled at how peaceful she looked, soundlessly slipping into the bed before he carefully hovered above her.

Edward placed a light kiss on her forehead at first, as he settled down on top of her. And there was no denying his pleasure as he witnessed a small involuntary smile touch Bella's lips at their contact.

With no words spoken, Edward's fingers pulled the spaghetti straps of her night top down both her arms. He slid his hands up her sides, and bunched the top at her shoulders. She squirmed, moaning a little as he gently pulled it over her head, leaving her topless.

She moved underneath him as she finally faded in and out of awareness. _"Edward?" _she breathed, delirious; her eyes flicking open just a tad. _"What are you doing…?"_

"_It's ok … just relax"_ his whisper was like a warm gentle breeze across her face, before he placed a soft kiss onto her lips…

Without another moment of hesitation, he moved down to her shorts, tentatively pushing them downwards, her underwear going with it, and her eyelids fluttered shut. She was completely relaxed as she let out a happy sigh.

Now, both completely naked, he reached down to hook her leg. He tenderly caressed the soft skin that lay there, watching as her cheeks grew a rosy pink, before spreading her leg out wide for easier access. Not a second later, he slowly plunged inside. She jolted at the sudden intrusion. He was careful and never forceful with her, but feeling him deep inside of her was certainly enough to pull anyone into full consciousness.

She didn't speak as she encompassed him completely. Her eyes just zoned in on his. And they moved as one for what seemed like forever. Edward teasing her with his actions, speeding up one second, slowing down the next. She grinned after every near-climax she would reach, wrapping her legs around his body, tensing with every movement, but loving every second of it.

"_And here was me thinking you weren't a morning person"_ boast a smug Edward, but his voice sounded like it was being stretched across the room.

"_Well … I wouldn't mind waking up to this every morning"_ she moaned out in all honesty, her eyes slamming shut as she almost reached her climax. His hand cupped the side of her left breast as he steered her, his thumb bent over, twiddling her nipple, only proving to increase her growing excitement.

Her legs released him, falling onto the bed and spreading out wide, her actions rough and wild by now as she lost total control of herself. Bella bucked like a horse under his body, her back arching upwards as they finally came too.

They gasped, his hot heavy body slumping on top of her slim delicate frame. But she didn't protest, she liked the feeling of being trapped underneath him.

Seconds later and a comfortable Edward reluctantly started to move, pushing himself upwards onto his elbows to observe her face as it glowed. Their bodies were wringing wet, their legs in a sticky tangled mess, but neither would ever complain.

She chuckled softly at how he was always full of surprises._ "Trying to prove a point, were you?"_ smiled Bella, her eyebrows rising and falling as she spoke. Her hand running through her hair, brushing it away from her sweaty forehead, before coming to rest on his bicep.

He sniggered in return, she knew him too well. "_Well did it work?"_ his crooked smile re-appeared.

She exhaled a long sigh, _"what do you think?"_

He looked deeply into her eyes_. "I think, we'd be crazy if we stopped now" _he urged, as he waited and hoped for her agreement.

She smiled back, but sadly it didn't touch her eyes, and he frowned at her state of constant worry.

"_I wish you'd stop thinking so much Bella"_ he pleaded slowly, before he placed another kiss onto her forehead. A tender moment they rarely shared.

He trailed them down her face then, peppering them across the length of her moist neck, before he pulled away to face her. Noticing as her eyes grew heavy with exhaustion.

"_Ill er … I'll let you get back to sleep then"_ added Edward, with obvious regret.

"_Oh.. ok,"_ her response was weak, disappointed at the thought of him leaving. _"Or … you could just stay, a little longer. If you wanted"_ she offered, taking a chance.

He seemed to stare at her for ages after that, but a small barely visible nod gave Bella the answer she required.

Carefully pulling himself away from her, he lay on his side, opening an arm out to welcome her, where she pressed herself into him like they were two puzzle pieces coming together. She laid her head on his shoulder as she let her eyes close shut, and his hand stroking the small of her back lead her into a peaceful slumber. By the time Bella woke up at 7.30am, there was nothing but a cold and empty space beside her…

And so, the predicament continues...

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**

**I hope you dont mind it flipping from POV to 3rd person, as I plan on doing that throughout this fic =/**

**Comments?**


	4. Chapter 3

**Beast of a chapter coming up! Hope you're still enjoying it =]**

Chapter 3:

Never one to be a lively ball of energy during the morning time, but as Bella hunched over her cereal at the breakfast table, her heavy eyes struggling to stay open, Charlie couldn't help but be concerned. But he placed the blame onto her studies.

"Tired Bella?" her dad queried as he sat across from her; noticing her droopy eyes.

It took so much effort just to answer him. "Yeah, I erm, I had a bit of a restless night" she replied; flashing him a feeble smile before she placed a fingertip to one of her closed eyelids and gently rubbed.

"Yeah, me too actually". Bella's eyes then opened with a start at the sound of Edward's voice, as he strolled casually into the kitchen.

"Really Edward?" asked a completely oblivious Charlie.

"Yeah, I was tossing and turning for hours" he smirked, musing over Bella's state of discomfort as she shifted in her seat. It didn't last for long though, and two could always play at that game.

"More like minutes I'm sure" Bella piped up with a soft tease, giving him a nod as she smirked in amusement at the drop of his face. Charlie meanwhile, was always none the wiser.

"_Strange"_ Charlie muttered for a moment, but not giving it that much thought as he continued on with his breakfast. Edward smiled back in return, flicking his vision across to Bella, where his eyes narrowed slightly at how self conceited her expression was.

"Well, that's me done" she pushed herself away from the table and rose to her feet. She made a conscious effort to go the long way around, ensuring she brushed past Edward on her way out, her hips swaying that extra bit for added impact. She could feel the sexual tension practically oozing out of him as she walked by, she grinned at that, getting satisfaction from the knowledge that she could drive him just as crazy.

Ordinarily, she wouldn't be quite so forward when in the company of her own father, but it was only once in a blue moon that Bella would get the upper hand on Edward, so how could she not take full advantage of it!?

…………………………………

The drive to school was long and silent, neither sure what to say. Particularly Bella, who had lots on her mind, but struggled to put it all into words.

Biting the bullet, she let the first words she could think of, slip past her lips.

"You know, last night, I was contemplating giving it up" her sheepish voice announced from the silence with extreme hesitance, as they sat side by side in the vehicle.

"I know" he said simply; his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his expression focused and determined.

Edward exhaled deeply before continuing. "I guess, it was a good thing I changed your mind then" he didn't smirk, his voice was still controlled.

She sighed back at his comment. "You haven't changed my mind Edward. My head's still telling me we should stop this, before someone gets hurt". He exhaled heavily for a second time, clearly frustrated as he listened to her speak; expecting the worst. But he was pleasantly surprised as she went on.

"…But, for some reason, I can't stop. I..I don't want too" she stared at her hands, slightly embarrassed at how open she was being. They rarely talked, especially about their little situation, or their feelings. So this was definitely a first for them.

She chanced a look at his face, and he was staring straight back at her. After a moment or two they both turned away, awkwardness consuming them.

"Look, I think the trick is not to over think things" he finally responded. "It's just… something we do. It works … as for everything else," his shoulders shrugged, "it doesn't matter. No one's going to get hurt, because no one's going to find out. Simple as that".

Except it was never_ that_ simple. And they both knew it. But for now they'd opt for denial and ignorance. Being realistic just wasn't an option.

Pulling up onto the school parking lot, Edward cut the engine.

"Right then" she perked up a little. "3.30 remember. And this time _you_ don't be late" she told him as she looked him directly in the eye. He nodded in return, a small smile playing on his lips.

As she stepped out of the vehicle, a petite blonde girl strolled towards them; her one finger twiddling the long strand of her hair.

"Hey Bella" smiled Jessica, before peering inside to see Edward. He rolled down his window at her presence. "Morning Edward!" she waved.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Good thanks. Actually I was hoping I'd catch you" she grinned delightedly. "I was just wondering if you were doing anything Saturday night?" a knot in Bella's stomach suddenly twisted. "We're going to a club in town, probably about 9pm onwards, if you want to come?" she asked with wide eyed enthusiasm, much to Bella's dismay, who now felt the urge to yank at that pretty blonde hair.

"Oh right, cool" he gave her a nod. "Erm…"

"Actually," Bella butted in for him, "He's busy" she flashed a look of sympathy in Jessica's direction.

"He is?" Edward cocked an eyebrow as he looked at her.

"Yes," said Bella as she turned back to face him. "Besides, you wouldn't want to hang around with a bunch of girls 2 years your junior; we'd only cramp your style" Bella smiled at him mockingly, as Jessica let a slight whinge fall through her lips. "Well, cheerio then" smiled a delighted Bella, before hooking onto Jessica's arm and literally pulling her towards the school doors.

"Awww, that's such a shame he can't come" Jessica's brow puckered as she reluctantly followed along. "I was hoping I could get to know him a little better, you know" she smirked, tugging on Bella's arm suggestively. "I mean, wouldn't that be great!? If _I_ could date your step brother! We'd be like, related or something" she giggled annoyingly. Leaving Bella wondering why she had ever strove to maintain a friendship with someone quite so irritating…

…………………………

(4pm)

The day was drawing to a close, classes had all wrapped up, homework had been set, plans for the weekend had been made, and for once Edward had arrived on time.

"Come on slow coach, don't lag behind!" Edward grinned down to her, from where he stood at the top of the staircase, waiting for Bella as she strolled up at her own casual pace.

"It's not a race you know" she looked at him with lazy eyes, as she took a final step to meet his level; her school backpack like a pile of weights against her back.

"Well it's certainly not a close one" he smirked back at her.

They were now in the City Library. Every Friday afternoon Charlie would drive her to the local Library, where she'd find books for her current assignments. And with Edward being lumbered with the main school run for the next two weeks, it meant he would be the one to take her there.

"This way" Bella instructed, as she titled her head towards one of the passageways, and they headed down to the furthest corner. "Here we are" she exclaimed as she came to a stop near the Sociology section, picking up a rather moth-eaten-looking book off the shelf, before flicking to the Index Page.

Whilst Edward – his mind always occupied with one thing and one thing only - couldn't help but chuckle at where they'd ended up. "Erm, are you _sure_ we came here to find you some books?" he sniggered at her, his eyes squinting a little, inquisitively.

She turned her attention back to Edward and shrugged, "It's a library Edward, why else would we come here?"

He chuckled under his breath. "Well, you know what they say about the top floor against that back wall, don't you?" he looked at her suggestively.

She rolled her eyes, fixing her vision onto the book she was looking at. "What's that exactly? A lot of musty old books?" she answered casually; knowing exactly where he was going with that one, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Yeah, probably with indentations of someone's ass cheeks in no doubt" he added with a smirk. Only to receive a whack on the arm as Bella hit him with her book. _"Edward! Will you keep your voice down!" _she screeched, looking around to see if anyone had heard. "And how would you know anyway?" her eyebrows rose pointedly.

"Oh, I don't know" shrugged Edward. "Its just, what people have told me" he nodded, glancing away, but Bella wasn't convinced.

"Oh really!?" her face was a picture. Not only grossed out at the prospect of him ever contemplating having sex in a public place, but disappointed at the thought of Edward being with someone else. She sighed, turning back to the book. "This one will do" she relented. "How about you? Do you need anything?"

He shrugged. "Sure, lots of things" he added with a snort. "But no, I'm good" he grinned smugly. She huffed in her annoyance before marching straight past him, and he jogged back towards her to keep up. "So now you want to race!?"

She simply glared back at him, as they made there way back down towards the ground floor...

……

"Thanks" she expressed her gratitude as a kind old gentleman held the door for her, and she made her way out onto the car park, Edward close behind.

Seconds later and Bella's head shook in continued disbelief. "I can't believe you've _done it_ in a public library" she scoffed in disgust as they walked back towards the truck; unable to let it go.

"I told you, I haven't! I just know people that have done, that's all".

"Well that's totally gross Edward" her face cringed as she looked at him.

"It's not that bad. I recon it'd be quite exciting actually".

"_Figures you would"_ she muttered, rolling her eyes as they approached the vehicle.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned her, his face frowning as he unlocked the door and climbed inside. Not long after he flicked open the passenger side door allowing for Bella to join him.

"Nothing. It's not supposed to mean anything" she sighed, "Lets just go yeah, I want to get home and have a shower".

"Fine" he huffed, jamming the key into the ignition and firing her up. "But I don't know why you're being so uptight about it all of a sudden. You can't tell me you don't get a rush out of the danger, and the risk of getting caught".

"What!?" she half gasped, half laughed in disbelief.

"It adds to the thrill, does it not?" he looked at her with wide eyes, pausing before he yanked it into gear.

"Doing it under your parent's noses is a little different to doing it in a public Library, Edward".

"Whatever" he rolled his eyes at her tetchiness, sick of arguing for no apparent reason.

"Look, just drive will you".

"My pleasure" he grunted as they trundled out of the car park.

…………………………

..(20 minutes later)..

"Oh great you're home, I was just leaving you a message" they entered the house as Charlie held up the pad of paper, "we're going out for a meal with Harry and Sue Clearwater, so you'll have to sort your own dinners out tonight". They both rolled their eyes at that, as they kicked off their shoes. "And _no_ takeaways!" he added with a tone of warning; pointing his finger at his two children.

"Fine, I'm going for a shower anyway" Bella started up the stairs, but was brought to a halt at the sound of her name.

"Oh Bella, before you go," Esme' called her back, as she appeared at the foot of the stairs buttoning up her jacket, "the dressmakers called, they want to measure us both for a fitting this Monday, I told them you have school though, so I've arranged it for the evening".

"Oh ok, sounds good".

"Great, well, we're off then. See you both later". They left soon after, and it wasn't long until Bella had stripped off her clothes and jumped into the shower.

…

"So shall I order a pizza then!?" Edward yelled up the stairs after Bella, choosing to ignore Charlies no takeaway rule, as cooking seemed like far too much effort for a Friday night. "Bella!?" he shouted, but the only response he received was the gurgle of hot water pipes, as she switched the shower on.

He smiled deviously at the knowledge that they were home alone and she was now taking a shower. An image of her naked body, with water droplets sliding down her skin had his mouth watering and his pants growing tight.

Not being one to let temptation lie there, his feet led him up the stairs and along the landing walkway. Flicking the bathroom catch to unlock it, he opened the door, stepping inside.

He was hit by a cloud of warm mist at first entrance, but that only added to his ever growing excitement; just imagining her, all hot and wet was enough to make his head spin in all directions. Closing the door with a gentle click, he leant with his back against the surface; just staring in awe at her silhouette as she washed herself down.

…

Squirting the shower gel onto the palm of her hand she rubbed it between her fingers, before lathering it over her body to clean herself down. She then let the hot water spray over her body to rinse the suds away, before closing her eyes as the pressured heat massaged her tired muscles.

She shivered. Her skin in a spasm at the unexpected draft from behind. Rubbing and opening her eyes, she took a glance towards the shower door; her eyes nearly popping out of her skull at the sight of him standing behind her, completely starker's.

"Edward, what are you doing?" she asked him in a slight frantic panic, her head turning to look at him as she kept her back towards him; startled but also severely embarrassed.

Whenever they'd been together, she had the protection of the dark nights or a quilt cover to mask a little of her modesty. But right here, right now, she simply stood before him, wet and completely naked.

"I thought you might want some company" spoke Edward as he stepped forward, a cheeky smile playing on his lips. All thoughts of a snappy comeback then turned to mush in her head, as he placed his hands tentatively on her hips.

Her entire body trembled in that moment, her legs almost giving way on her, as she felt his cool wet hands trickle down the sides of her torso, teasingly. Her head almost fell back as her eyelids fluttered shut.

"_See"_ his voice was low and seductive beneath the volume of the shower, as he hushed into her ear. _"You're happy to see me now, aren't you"._ Murmured Edward as he playfully but tenderly gnawed at the skin on her shoulder.

Slowly he turned her around, his hands manoeuvring her on the spot, bringing them face to face.

At that point her brain had left her body, and Bella was merely naked and vulnerable under his gaze. Any attempt at objecting seemed so pointless, given her body would always have other ideas.

Her eyes trailed the vision in front of her. Her hand reaching to run her fingertips over his peck, before she timidly looked into his eyes.

"_But … but what if…"_

He silenced her then by cupping her lips with his mouth, and kissing her passionately.

Bella immediately moaned at the contact, her hands latching onto his shoulders to pull herself closer. Whilst Edward's hands moved up beside her breasts, lifting her up an inch or two onto her toes.

Bella felt him grow hard against her stomach, his hands trailing down her sides making her tremble, before he slowly pulled away to look at her.

"_What if, what?"_

She felt her body quiver under his stare, despite the burning hot ache that lingered between her legs. _"Nothing… it doesn't matter"_ she whispered back, her eyes glassy with tears, as they closed the gap for a second kiss.

Her feet then left the basin and she found herself wrapped around his body, her legs resting on his hips. He turned them, so that her back became pressed up against the tiled surface, his hard length tickling and teasing her entrance, she felt so weightless in his arms, her head in the clouds and beyond, before he delve inside of her, in one swift and precise motion…

The water continued to pour down his back, his skin turning red from the constant plummeting of heat. But that never entered his mind; far too focused on Bella as their rhythm commenced.

It was slow at first, relaxed almost as he more or less cradled her in his arms. But as they craved to feel more, their eyes connecting, foreheads practically touching; her body squirmed against him for added friction.

Their faces crumpled through their tension, as they hurried to reach their climax. No words were spoken, and his lips clasped at the skin on her neck, sucking hard as she leant her back against the cool tiles. The cold surface was a welcome combination against her back, as her hips ground into him, enjoying the added pressure.

They gasped as their orgasms peeked. Gradually coming to a stop as she fell into him, her cheek resting on his shoulder as her body turned to heavy jelly.

She was fixed to him, their soaking wet bodies stuck together like glue…

Gradually opening her eyes, her brain reconnecting with her body, she peeled herself away from him. His hands down her back helped to steady her, as her feet landed back onto the shower basin, held up by her two shaky legs.

She winced at the burst of ice cold water on her chest, as the hot shower water suddenly ran out. It was gone in a matter of seconds however, as Edward twisted the lever, shutting it off.

They stood there then, facing each other, and he couldn't help but glance at her chest.

Running a finger down from neck to waist, he glided over her breast. He enjoyed the look on her face as he touched her, her cheeks glowed a warm pink colour, as the goose-bumps on her skin sprung to life. A mouth watering experience for Edward to witness.

He stepped away then, exiting the cubicle and grabbing her a towel. He carefully placed it around her form, wrapping her up and ensuring she was covered. She smiled shyly at his sweetness, her hand clasping onto the rim of the towel, holding it shut.

Not long after and they both stepped out into the bathroom, with Edward reaching for his own towel to wrap himself up with.

Feeling a twinge of self consciousness, Bella turned with her back towards him, trying her best to dry herself off without being seen. Sensing her discomfort, Edward spoke up. "So how about that pizza then?" he asked with a smile. And she angled herself to look at him, her head tilting at his question; the awkwardness and embarrassment quickly disappearing. "You_ know_ dad said no takeaways" she looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Oh really? I didn't hear" he shrugged, his face attempting a look of innocence. She grinned back, shaking her head at him in amusement.

"I'll make the phone call then, shall I" he smirked back.

He left her then; towel still hung at his hips, leaving her alone in the bathroom as she watched him walk away; a sudden ghastly feeling brought to life at the pit of her stomach as she found herself alone.

Closing the door for some privacy, she placed her back against the cool wooden surface.

Unable to hold on any longer, her legs gave way, and she slid down the wood, slumping onto the floor in a helpless lump… once again she found herself exhilarated from their time spent together, but sadly, never completely satisfied, as she was always left wanting more…

**A/N: Still with me!?**

**Please review for more upcoming Edward and Bella goodness xD! xxx**


	5. Chapter 4

**You guys overwhelm me xD … I'm so glad you're enjoying this fic as much as I'm enjoying writing it! I'm nearly up to 100 story alerts with this one – So I'm guessing a lot more of you are reading this than I first thought.**

**I have to say I'm feeling a little sorry for my other fic though – It's becoming a lot harder to write than this one and I think I'm getting a little distracted by this Edward and Bella (because they're just so darn hot xp). So I might take a few days out to focus on my other fic. **

**Never fear though – I'll be updating chapter 5 of this one soon enough, I just love all the reviews I'm getting =D! Its spurs me on to write more xD**

**Anyhoo, just a little chapter to keep you going…**

Chapter 4:

"That'll be $10.50 then please," the pizza delivery guy stood at the front door to the Swan residence, whilst Edward dug deep into his pockets.

"Alright Swan, this pizza isn't going to pay for itself. Cough it up!" Edward called back to her, as he flipped his wallet open and pulled out his cash.

At the smell of sizzling pizza, Bella sprung to his side, purse tight in her grip, to drop 50 cents into Edwards awaiting hand. "There you go, that's my contribution..." she smiled at him sweetly before happily taking the pizza. "…Thanks".

"50 Cents? That's all I get!?" moaned Edward at her pitiful input.

"Well it _was_ _your_ idea" Bella practically crooned back into his ear before taking the box into the living room to place onto the table. Unlatching the cardboard edges she flipped it over, revealing its pizzary goodness.

She was already half way through her first slice when Edward finally joined her.

"You're welcome by the way" he grunted, shoving the wallet back into his pocket. And she beamed back at him smugly. "I know!"

"Yeah well, don't get too cocky. I may be in charge of payment, but _you_ can be in charge of hiding the evidence. Good luck pulling the wool over Charlie's eyes on this one," he mused as he took a hold of his pizza, slumped back into the chair and put his feet up. "Although who am I kidding, you're already pretty good at that arent you" he smirked, taking a bite.

Her face immediately fell at his comment, unable to enjoy even two minutes of blissful ignorance. "That was uncalled for" she frowned, her lips falling into a pout.

Noticing her reaction he sighed at his thoughtlessness. "Yeah. Sorry, bad joke" he pulled a wary and sympathetic face, and no longer did Bella feel in the mood for pizza. Throwing the crust into the cardboard she took to her feet, walking out of the living room and into the kitchen.

Bella stood in her misery at the kitchen sink, her hands running through the water as she stared at the clear liquid mindlessly. She wasn't alone for long though, and a guilt-ridden Edward soon came towards her from behind.

"I'm sorry" he spoke out, but she failed to turn around; too mesmerized by the endless pouring of tap water. "I didn't mean to upset you". He went on but still gained nothing in return. Taking another step towards her, he leant over, turning the tap to shut off the water pipe. "Bella?" She twitched in just the slightest as the water ceased to be, before slowly swivelling on her heel to face him.

"Sorry" she apologised, her head shaking a little at her previous trance like behaviour.

"That's alright" he smiled at her, but it barely touched his eyes; glazed over with so much concern. Clear as day to Bella, as she looked back into them; now saddened by the knowledge that she could so easily bring his day down as well as her own.

Grabbing the towel off the side he dried her wet hands.

"Are you ok? You seem so … distant lately."

Bella nodded back; trying to concentrate, but the stroking sensations he was making in her hands couldn't help but make her tingle. "I'm fine." Her eyes watched the circles he was drawing in her palms.

He nodded back, not entirely convinced. "You're sure, there's nothing wrong?" Edward questioned her cautiously. "I mean, apart from the obvious". He finished up with her hands, much to Bella's dismay and thrust the towel to the back of the chair.

"Really, I'm fine. It's probably just my hormones. Plus, with exams coming up and hiding from our parents; it's a lot to think about. It's not a picnic you know".

"Hormones?" he eyed her, feeling the sudden need to reiterate, and she nodded first of all thinking nothing of it, but sighed soon after. Bella rolled her eyes as she sensed he'd jumped to conclusions. "I'm not pregnant Edward. If that's what you're asking me?"

"No" he quickly shot back, glancing away, "Well, ok. So maybe, I did, wonder" he looked at her shamefully.

She let out a lengthily exhale. "Well you can stop wondering now. I'm not pregnant. I'm on the pill, remember?" she answered back, attempting to brush past him, but he grabbed her arm preventing her from leaving.

"Hey" Edward pulled her back, looking into her eyes directly. "I'm sorry" he spoke with conviction, and a sinking sensation filled her stomach at his sincerity. There was really no need for him to apologise, after all, Bella was the one that'd been so hard on him lately, taking her stress out on him when it hadn't really been called for. She smiled through sadness at his sweetness.

His hand rose to caress her cheek as they gazed into each others eyes. Their lower bodies became pressed together as she leant against the side of the sink, and with hesitance, he closed the gap with a tender kiss.

Bella sighed into his lips, tension just drifting away; her hand running through Edward's hair as she kissed him back. It was slow and very precise; an almost companionable kiss between a young husband and wife, very unlike what they were accustomed too.

When he finally pulled away, they were both panting and some 20 degrees warmer.

Bella's head dipped slightly in her embarrassment, unable to meet his eyes as her cheeks shone a shade of bright rosy red. And sensing her discomfort he changed the subject.

"So what would you say to a movie night?" he questioned her, searching for her brown eyes. She eventually replied with a coy closed lipped smile, and he took her hand in his, leading her back to the couch.

"Are you going to let me choose the movie?" she teased with hopefullness. And he laughed back raising his eyebrows, "Now that _would_ be pushing it" he smirked.

"Eat" he playfully ordered her, signalling to the left over pizza. "Before it gets cold!"…

***

Dear Diary,

I write this as I eat my last slice of pizza. Edward's downstairs watching some action movie, so I'm taking five minutes for some quality Bella-Diary one on one.

I'm in a total daze.

We had a moment, a moment of sheer tenderness. He was sweet and thoughtful and there was no denying that his kiss felt like it truly meant something. For a second there, I even forgot that we were two people in a really complicated situation.

I feel like some days I'm in a total wind spin, like I've been blown away in some kind of tornado, and I don't know which way I'm going, but with any second I could just fall flat on my face, you know?

I know I spend the majority of my day over thinking things. I've always tended to be rather analytical, a useful trait up until now, because I have to admit, it's starting to give me a headache.

I'm quite looking forward to Saturday night, when I can have a drink and just let my hair down. I'll leave all that contemplation and worry for another day.

School today was a total snooze-fest. Even lunch time failed to amuse. I just spent the entire hour listening to Jessica going on about her outfit for Saturday night (we're going to this new club that's recently opened in town), apparently it accents her breasts in a way that will turn not only boy's heads, but girl's heads as well. I'll believe it when I see it!

My weekly trip to the local library proved an interesting experience though. I usually go with dad, but Edward accompanied me this time.

Bizarrely, he mentioned something about knowing people that've had sex on the top floor of Forks City Library. That turned my stomach quite a bit; especially when the look on his face had guilt written all over it. My guess is, past relations meant he'd gotten pretty damn cosy with those musty old books. But I'd rather not think about it. We never discuss our ex's. I'm not sure I'd even want to know about them. I don't even know how many he's had. Either way, I'm fairly certain he'd put my small amount of 'one' to shame.

So as expected, it happened again. We argued over something completely irrelevant; mostly my doing, I'll admit, before I found myself being sprung from behind in the shower.

I can honestly say though, that every time I'm with Edward, it's another lesson learned.

That's not necessarily a good thing though, as I have recently discovered - I am turning into a very weak person.

Of late, my lack of self restraint is unbelievable. Its official, he has me wrapped around his little finger. Any thoughts of me putting a stop to our little agreement are immediately quashed as soon as were alone. He doesn't even have to say anything; he's persuasive in other ways, and I find myself backing down without any questions asked. And even if I did suggest we put a stop to it, we'd only end up arguing and then in the heat of the moment I'd back down again. It's a vicious cycle with us.

In fact, it feels like all we ever do these days is bicker and have sex. On paper, it all sounds rather exhausting. But I think the arguing makes it easier in a way. Without the constant bickering, we'd probably feel too much like a real couple. I guess bickering is a healthy ingredient for a circumstance such as ours. It'd be far too weird if we were always the best of friends… take this evening for instance. He'd never kissed me like _that_ before.

Just between us though, I have to admit I've been feeling a little weird lately. It's like I'm starting to miss him when he walks away. It's bugging me. I don't even remember feeling this way when I was with Jake (my first and only real boyfriend). With Jacob it became far too samey, and ordinary almost. But with Edward, he makes me feel different things.

He makes me laugh at times when all I want to do is hate him, he makes me blush with just one single touch or smile, and he makes me insane with jealousy at just the mention of another girl.

I feel my fists clench at just the mention of his friend Tanya. And don't even get me started on Jessica Stanley's over-interest in him! I'd hate to think he'd ever be swayed by her.

But why should I even care anyway?

It's not like it can last forever. After all, the weddings coming up in just over a month. And that day will change everything…

We'll be living in another house for one. And Charlie and Esme' will be walking around blissfully happy, unknowingly torturing me by using the dreaded 'B' word. Just the thought of calling him my brother makes me physically ill. I really doubt I could stand hearing it from my father's mouth every second of the day.

I mean, I know by bloods standards, we'd never be biologically related, so it's not like its incest or anything, but that word still has meaning behind it. And I've done far too much with Edward to e_ver_ use that word without chucking up.

Anyway, I better head back downstairs. Edward's probably wondering where I am.

You know, I'm getting the hang of this writing business. It's like therapy… which at present, I probably wouldn't say no too!

Over and out,

_Bella Swan. _xxx

PS, I need to note this down; just for future reference… shower sex is a total win win! I just loved the element of surprise!

Aside from the slight embarrassment factor of Edward seeing my naked body in broad daylight for the first ever time, for once, no quilt cover offering me a form of protection, but I soon got passed it. It's amazing how at ease we are with each other now.

In fact, I don't think he's ever put me in a position where I should ever feel ashamed about my body. And for that, I am eternally grateful. Prior to Edward, I _was_ known to spend a fair few hours wishing I was different; a little bigger here, a little smaller there. But with Edward, none of that seems to matter.

I guess one good thing that has come out of this, apart from the obvious, is that I've grown in confidence. And for the first time in my life, I'm starting to feel like a woman.

I'm pretty happy about that.

Ok, now I really am going. We'll carry this session on another time. Maybe then I'll have finally come to my senses… I can only hope.

But I wouldn't bank on it...

**A/N: Thanks for reading. And if you want more, you know what to do :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello =] How are we all? So I wont bore you with my rambling, but thanks for the comments/alerts and to those that have saved me to their author list xD**

**Loving you guys!!!**

**Hope you enjoy ;) **

Chapter 5:

"That's a little short isn't it Bellz?" Charlie cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the lack of length to her black mini skirt.

"Dad _come on_, I'm going to a club" she argued, for once pleased with what she saw as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"She's not a child Charlie," Esme' tutted at him as she gathered the drinks from where they were dotted around the living room floor.

"Yeah, I can see that".

"_We can all see that" _Edward muttered, sniggering under his breath.

"You know, this is actually long compared to what some of them wear," Bella went on to justify her skirt, trying her best to ignore Edward in the process, as his stare was like a blast of fire to her back . "You should see what Jessica goes out in… Actually, no," she stopped herself for the sake of her father's heart, "you shouldn't. You'd be horrified".

"Yeah well, that's the Stanley's choice in the matter. I'm more concerned about what my daughter goes out in" he looked at her with those fatherly over-protective eyes.

"Don't worry Charlie, I've seen worse." Spoke a blasé Edward, as he slumped onto the couch and flicked through the TV channels.

"Oh great. Thanks Edward" said Bella with bitter sarcasm, as she glared into his eyes. He looked at her obliviously, before the doorbell rang and Bella turned to answer it.

"Ok. So, ID, Money, Phone" she listed the essential items needed for the night ahead, before opening the door to see two of her friends all tarted up. Alice wearing black, always able to look sexy, but not in a trashy kind of way, she had certain morals, unlike Jessica, who clearly got dressed with her back to the mirror.

"Well, don't you girls look, erm…" Charlie attempted to encourage, but his fatherly instincts were far too overpowering. "Excuse me. I think I'm going to go fluff the pillows…or possibly scream into one," Charlie forced a grin as he turned away from them, heading up the stairs shaking his head.

Bella just laughed in response. Grabbing her coat off the rail and putting it on.

"Well have a good time wont you. I'm going to head upstairs, check your fathers still alive" smirked Esme'. "Stay safe!" she called back as she followed Charlie up the stairs.

"So where are you girls heading anyway?" asked Edward as he rose from his seat and headed over to them. Bella internally grimaced at the affect he had on her friends. Jessica, whose eyes and smile grew wider than ever before, and Alice, who was the least affected by his charms, now had noticeably blushing cheeks.

"We're going to this new club in town. It's called 'Wild Ride', it's supposed to be like, the coolest place ever" Jessica gladly piped up. "It's, a shame you can't come".

"Yeah" he nodded, flicking his vision onto Bella. "It is".

She shifted nervously under his stare. Turning away from him and shimmying her friends out the door. "Well have a good night anyway" he called back to them, before grabbing Bella's arm to prevent her from leaving. She lingered in the doorway as their eyes connected. "I guess I'll.. see you later then" the look in his eyes was clear determination, masked with secretive seduction. And Bella nodded in response. Finally walking away with a rather smug and blushing smile, just knowing that when she did return home, he'd be waiting for her...

………………………………

(2am)

"So Forks High huh?"

"Yeah, just until July. Then hopefully in September I'll be starting uni. Providing I pass and all" Bella raised her voice as she leant into the young man's ear. A charming twenty something male whom she'd caught an eye.

"Aw, I'm sure you'll do fine" his smile was warm, and Bella was thankful she'd caught the eye of a decent one for once, rather than a slimy sleaze bag, which were a lot more common in these types of places. "You know, I'm only ever interested in smart girls, and you d_efinitely_ seem smart to me," his eyebrows raised, and she laughed back bashfully, shaking her head a little at his string of compliments. It had been a long while since she'd been wooed by someone… too long actually, as Bella mused to herself, having missed the attention quite a bit.

"Speaking of interest. I think you've got an admirer over there" the man eyed the space passed her head.

Her face scrunched in confusion at his words and she tilted her head as she answered. "I'm sorry?"

He smiled back at her state of obliviousness. "Well, he's obviously keen on one of us, and since he keeps glaring daggers at me every time I look his way; I'm thinking it's probably _not me_ he's interested in".

She frowned in curiosity, casting an eye across the crowd of people dancing, until she paused, locating a certain Edward Cullen, as he sat at the furthest corner of the bar staring her way. Her body swelled up, her eyes like golf balls as her breath grew heavy at the sight of him. She should've guessed he'd pull a stunt like this!

Turning back to the guy she was with, his face displaying a look of bafflement, she forced an awkward smile. "I'm really sorry, that's my … _friend" _she emphasized. "You'll have to excuse me, I should probably go deal with this" she apologised and earned a polite nod from the stranger in return, before the heels on her feet led her to the opposite end of the room, and she stalked over towards him, glancing over to her friends who continued to dance and just praying they hadn't seen him.

Edward smiled as he watched her approach him, coming to a halt a mere foot away, but she didn't look overly happy to see him, not that it bothered him. He was just pleased he'd stolen her attention.

Edward was the first to speak...

"Who was that?" he called over the music to her; glancing passed her shoulder and narrowing his eyes.

Bella's eyebrows rose as she looked at him and she scoffed at his green-eyed envy. "Well now who's the jealous one!" she called back to him, feeling a sudden surge of delight run through her veins.

"_Ooh_, so you really were jealous of Tanya when I asked you the other day!?" he teased in return, turning it back onto her as his own eyes lit up.

Bella rolled her eyes at him, taking a tentative step in his direction. "Edward, what are you doing here?" she sighed.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't sleep. I was bored. Plus, I figured you'd need someone to drive you home".

"You brought the truck?" she scrunched her face up. "Where'd you park it?"

"Around the back, next to the 'no public parking' sign, so, we probably shouldn't stay too long" he pulled a wary face before grinning. She couldn't help but chuckle back; before she noticed her friends appear at the corner of her eye. Just brilliant.

"Hey guys, hi Edward" smiled a waving Alice, as Jessica stumbled up behind her, evidently wasted as she clung to Alice's arm with a delirious giggle.

"_Eddieee! You caaame!_" grinned an over-enthusiastic Jessica, as she briefly bounced on the spot. "I think I might have drunk a bit too much" she snickered with a cheeky hand to her mouth. A band of sticky sweat shimmered across her forehead under the clubs lighting.

"Really!? I'd never have guessed" he humoured her with a smile. She flashed back a toothy grin, before obliviously grabbing a random half empty glass off the bar; its contents - a fluorescent pink colour, and attempting to drink it.

"Uh, no you don't!" A hasty Alice retrieved it from her grabby hands, signalling for the barman to take it away. "I think I better get her home" she pulled a worrying face back to Bella. "We're going to grab a taxi, will you, be ok?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just make sure she gets back in one piece. And text me when you get home, ok?"

"Will do. I'll catch you later". The two best friends embraced each other in a tight hug. "Bye Edward" added Alice as she pulled away from Bella, struggling a little with the uncooperative blonde who was attached to her side.

"Yeah, watch how you go".

They watched as Alice and Jessica made their way towards the clubs exit on shaky legs. With Bella feeling a wave of guilt wash over her at the knowledge that Alice had been lumbered with Jessica's drunken antics, who proved a handful even when alcohol _wasn't_ involved. She made a mental note to make it up to her little pixie friend later on. But for now, she had Edward to deal with…

"So, how about a dance?" he said as he stood up, bringing himself incredibly close to her as she turned back around to face him.

"Don't be ridiculous" Bella shuffled on her feet at their close proximity. "People will see us" she eyed the space around them warily. "In fact, we should probably go too" she went to walk away, but he hooked her arm, spinning her back around.

"No way! I just got here, and you owe me a dance anyway!" he told her defiantly.

"But, I thought you said you'd parked by a 'no parking sign'?" she went on to clutch at straws, anything to get them out of there. "And I owe you a dance!? Since when do I owe you anything!?"

His face pulled a - you've got to be kidding - expression at her question,. "For all the driving around I've been doing this past week! To the school and to the library and back. You owe me, big time!" he looked her directly in the eye.

Bella huffed in response, glancing away before turning back to him. "Cant I just pay you back some other way?" she tried to bribe him, smiling sweetly.

He sniggered under his breath, "sure you can. In fact we'll call that second pay back'" he smirked as his hands moved to her hips and he shuffled her backwards. She huffed in irritation at his constant persistence. What was it with him and sex in public places!? She silently cursed herself for not stating stricter rules in first light of their complicated arrangement.

"Fine but, not in the centre, lets just stay on the sidelines," negotiated a cautious Bella as he led them away from the bar and further in. "If ever anyone saw us…" she spoke, mostly to herself, unable to bring herself to finish the sentence. The dread was just too much to bear.

Edward happily granted her wish and they found themselves in the corner of one of the darker, less visible sections of the club. He didn't want to go making her too uncomfortable, as no pleasure would come from that.

They swayed to the music then, the clubbing beat barely a match to their gentle movements. And his hands on her hips guided her rhythm.

There was hardly a centimetre between the two, as their lower bodies moulded as one, her arms rising to wrap around his neck, surrendering to his actions as she opted for enjoyment over level-headedness; the couple of cocktails from earlier no doubt helped to relieve those inhibitions.

He placed a kiss beside her ear, and she shivered under his lips, half-heartedly protesting at his insistent level of intimacy in a public place, but her objections went unheard below the music.

He then searched to find her lips as she shyly ducked her head, but as soon as they made contact, his mouth brushing over hers, her head rose and she pushed herself into him, immediately responding by parting her lips to welcome his tongue, massaging it with her own. With that came the growing bulge in Edwards trousers, a stump turning into a mini mountain beneath the restricted material, as his hand reached down to cup her ass, pulling her towards him.

With their eyes closed shut, disguising the environment around them, it could have easily been just the two of them, alone in their room. But Edward forced himself to focus, and despite every part of him wanting to carry on, he regrettably pulled away.

He smiled at her pouting lips, unlatching her arms from where they'd entwined around his neck and locking their hands together. Amazing how 60 seconds ago she was practically begging him to leave. He marvelled at his natural talent of seduction.

"_See,"_ Edward hushed into her ear. "I told you the world wouldn't fall apart around us … nobody cares, because nobody knows us here" he told her.

Peeling herself away from him Bella looked into his eyes. "Yeah. Well you better hope not" she playfully whacked their joined hands across his chest before they shared a tender smile. This was the first time they'd been together without the safety shield of their household walls. To everyone else on the dance floor they were just two people lost in a whirl wind of passionate romance, completely unaware of the complications involved. It was a welcomed feeling, particularly for Bella, who longed for a sense of normality, even if it was only a brief moment in time…

He pecked her lips with a chaste kiss, pulling her from her wandering thoughts... "You taste like tequila" his eyebrows rose, and Bella felt the blush on her cheeks intensify. "You want to get out of here?"

She nodded back in response, feeling a throbbing down below she could really do with taking care of. Clutching at his offered hand, she followed him out…

…………………………………

Her back crashed into the side of the truck as he slammed her up against it. He didn't hurt her though, always very aware of his actions.

Parting their lips he looked into her eyes. "Do you think you can wait?" Edward spoke through a strained breath, and Bella immediately shook her head in response.

"Me neither" he attempted a soft laugh but rushed to make the most of their arousal.

Ensuring there was no one around, he pulled her underwear down beneath her skirt, helping her as she stepped out of them, before stuffing the pink panties into his jacket pocket and moving to unzip his jeans.

She clung to his shoulders as he lifted her up, her legs entwining around his waist, as he placed her onto the edge of the hood of the truck. Pushing his throbbing length deep inside of her.

She gasped as she felt him fill her completely, levering herself on the vehicle to allow him better access.

They were gone within no time at all. And her lightly tipsy state led her to moan loudly into the night sky, prompting Edward to place a hand over her mouth, concealing her muffled moans from attracting attention.

She giggled at that, for once it was Edward doing all he could to prevent them from getting caught. And as their orgasms reached a climax, they were brought to a gradual and steady stop. A rather brisk act for once, but equally satisfying enough.

Pulling himself out of her he rested her on the edge of the truck, whilst his fingers fiddled to reseal his jeans. Bella simply sat there watching him, her face smiling, legs open a jar as he stood between them; quite content in fact as she enjoyed the feeling of the cool breeze floating up her skirt.

When he was done making himself look half decent, she closed her legs around him, trapping him in.

"Well who'd have thought it ey?" he said as he traced a finger up the length of her thigh teasingly, "Who'd have thought, miss goody two shoes Bella Swan, would've ever had sex in a public place".

She shivered as his fingers tickled her. "Not me," her cheeks blossomed in the moonlit sky. He smiled back as he scanned her face; adoring that shade of pink on her skin. "But I guess that's what several glasses of alcohol does to you" she smirked back, before her eyes softened as she gazed across at him. Her hands hooked the top of his shirt and she stroked the skin that hid behind it. "You're beautiful, Edward" the alcohol making her a little too honest.

He frowned at first, not an observation Bella would usually make, before he smiled. "Are you sure it was only several glasses you had?" he cocked an eyebrow, and she lightly chuckled back.

Grasping at the back of her skirt he abruptly pulled her forward, she gasped in shock at the unexpected movement, her hands automatically latching onto his shoulders, before he lowered her onto her feet.

"I think its time I got you home" he tapped her lightly on the nose; leaning down he gave her a slow and sensual kiss, savouring the taste of her lips, before he went to walk away.

She sucked on her finger delightedly, feeling like a little girl in a sweet shop. "I'm really glad you came in the end, Edward" she called him back nervously, making him stop. "And I really appreciate you driving me home".

He nodded back, his face smiling victoriously. "Oh really? How appreciative exactly?" he teased as he walked around towards the driver side door.

She shrugged, opening the passenger side door. "Well if you play your cards right, I might just show you"…

**Comments? =D**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey guys =] Thanks so much for the reviews and favourites! Your support is always appreciated!! :)**

**Hope this chapter isnt too bad - its a little shorter than the rest...**

Chapter 6:

Bella stomped back towards her bedroom, feet dragging along the carpet as she went; her face fixed in a frown.

"Morning Bella, did you have a good time last night?" Charlie called out, but she merely grunted a measly response and walked on. Closing the door behind her she scrambled back to bed, curling up into a ball and clutching at her stomach in desperation.

The door swung open two seconds later, "Bellz?" her father stood with his hands on his hips at her doorway. And she tugged on the quilt cover, encompassing it further around her as she tried to hide.

"_Go away"_ Bella whined back, as just her nose and forehead peeked over the surface of the quilt. She was in no mood for a lecture this morning.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen. Where is your manner's young lady?"

"Sorry" she grumbled back. "_Please_ go away!?" she offered as a compromise.

Charlie smirked at her cheekiness. "Let me guess… You're hung over?"

She scoffed at his presumption. "I wish I was," a miserable Bella sulked, "You wouldn't understand. You men always get off easy".

"_Ooh",_ He smiled as he came to a realisation, his head nodding. After 18 years of being a single father, he'd grown quite used to this. "Girl's stuff". He confirmed as he took a seat on the bed beside her, placing a hand on her back and gently rubbing.

She fidgeted away though, not wanting to be touched. "Can I get you anything? A tablet maybe?"

Pulling the covers down to her neck Bella offered a half-hearted smile. "A tablet would be appreciated" she murmured her request.

He tapped her lightly on the nose as he smiled. "Alright. Two minutes," said Charlie as he rose to his feet and left her alone. Not 10 seconds had gone and the door had re-opened again.

"Wow, that was quick" she said without looking up, assuming it was her father. But the voice that answered her back resembled nothing of a mid 40 year old man.

"Huh? What was quick?"

She tilted her head, her eyes searching to meet Edwards, as he stood at her doorway, his face displaying a look of confusion. She recoiled slightly at the sight of him, a sudden image from last night flashed through her memory, in which he had her levered on the edge of the truck as he wedged himself inside of her. She shuddered at the thought, but felt her entire body heat up at the memory of it. "Oh, sorry, I thought you were dad" she replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Right" nodded Edward briefly, "Yeah, Charlie said you weren't feeling too good."

"I'll be fine" she all but whispered to herself, focusing on the patterns of the bed linen to avoid his eyes. How would she ever look him in the eye again after _that!?_

"Here we are," Charlie cheered as he re-entered her room, "Oh, hey Edward, didn't see you there," he added before placing the glass and tablet onto her bedside table beside her diary. He frowned a little as he grasped the diary in his hand. "Since when do you write in a diary Bellz?"

She glared at nothing in particular. _"Since my life became so complicated"_ Bella mumbled into her quilt, as she shifted her weight to sit upwards onto the bed, before she tucked her messy hair behind her ears.

"Sorry?" Charlie questioned, failing to make out her answer.

"Oh, I don't know. Its private, dad" she looked at him miserably, before grabbing a hold of the glass of water.

"Fair enough" he placed the diary back onto her table without further thought, turning on his heel to flash a look to Edward that said 'Girls ey!' as he rolled his eyes.

Attempting to take the tablet, an unappreciative Bella grimaced as they stood their staring at her. "Expecting a show are you?" she flicked her vision from Charlie to Edward, as they simply stood there gawking at her.

Charlie merely laughed in response, rather accustomed to her flippant moods around this time every month.

"Alright, how about we leave you to it, yeah?" Charlie acknowledged his daughters need for space, planting a light peck onto her forehead before walking away. An obedient Edward followed in toe, but lingered at the doorway prior to closing it.

"I…I hope you feel better soon, Bella". His smile was laced with sadness, and watching him close the door only proved to make her feel ten times worse.

With a sigh of agony she knocked the tablet back, downing the water in one go and then setting it aside. She crumpled back to her usual foetal position, preparing to wait patiently for the tablet to work its magic… if only it could work its magic on the rest of her life as well…

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Dear Diary,

It's approximately 20 past ten in the morning. I've been up since nine suffering the misfortune of period pains. Men really don't know how lucky they are!

I'm starting to feel better though, the pain and nausea is less, despite the tenderness of my stomach. But I've learned to cope with that.

I really have only one thing on my mind right now, that being the interesting events of the previous night…

Did I really do what I think I did?

Did I really _have sex_ on the hood of my father's Chevy!?

That's so unlike me!

Frolicking on the truck, not _in it,_ like most people, actually _on it_! The sexy dancing, kissing for the entire world to see! Whatever was I thinking!?

Must be a case of Jekyll and Hyde. The irrational, sex-hungry anti-sensible-Bella Swan reared her head last night! And I must say, she made pretty damn good use of her time!

I guess I should be slightly miffed though, that Edward would take advantage of me so easily in my drunk-like state. But I can't stay mad at him for too long. Because despite his eagerness for occasional risk-taking behaviour, he's still very much a gentleman; placing his jacket over my body as I'd drifted in and out of sleep during the car ride home. Only Edward would have had the decency and kindness to do that.

I also have this incredibly vague memory of him asking me where my Pyjamas were. So I'm guessing he also assisted me in that department as well. I was clearly totally out of it and consequently unable to muster even the strength to dress myself without dozing off, so I suppose I should be thankful that he succeeded in shuffling my heavy, uncooperative body out of my party clothes and into my night wear. That would be a challenge in itself!

But what a night!

I'm so glad I didn't drink my entire body weight in alcohol like I usually do, as my memory is still very much my own.

Though I'm severely disturbed by my actions and thoughtlessness with living life briefly on the dark side, I am quite proud of myself for having the ability to chill out for once. Edwards always going on about how uptight I always am, granted the cocktails did help, but for once I managed to prove him (and myself) very wrong!

I should be rather smug next time I see him, if it wasn't for the embarrassment factor. One things for sure, I'll never be able to look that Chevy in the eye the same way anymore; particularly if my dad finds the need to drive it. *Chuck bucket please?*

It doesn't even bear thinking about!

_*Sigh*_

I wish things could be different.

You know, for the first time in months, 3 to be exact, the thought about starting up a normal committed relationship, actually crossed my mind last night, when I found myself with alternative male company. For a second it was nice _to not_ _have to_ worry what other people would think. Not having to go around behind people's backs, deceiving the people you care about most of all by living in secret. It was a pleasant thought, a preferred thought to a certain extent. But when I saw Edward there last night, when my eyes locked with his and I stormed over to confront him, any thoughts about being with someone else were quickly pushed aside. I don't want to be with anyone else. I can't even imagine _being_ with someone else. And now, the thought seems so alien to me, and I know I've always said there would have to be a time when we'd be forced to end it, but I honestly couldn't and wouldn't want too, see that day anytime soon.

And so the predicament continues. And what makes it so much worse is - I have to go an entire 6 days without being with him now.

I just hope he doesn't get tired of waiting for me. I suppose only time will tell with that one though…

Bella Swan xxx

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

(7pm)

The day went by at snail pace. And a gloomy eyed Bella stared unblinkingly at the living room TV screen. She was in a trance; a lack of company for almost 5 hours led her to practically stagnate. And at the sudden sound of the front door slamming shut her heart skipped a frantic beat.

"Oh hey you're up!" Edward exclaimed the obvious, shuffling off his jacket and hooking it over the stairs banister.

"Yes. I have been for ages" her voice was mono-toned with a lack of spirit. "Where were you?"

"Well I heard you were bed bound. So I went to see Tanya" he spoke casually, thinking nothing of it.

That did nothing to appease Bella though, except trigger her paranoia of course. "Oh right," she rolled her eyes, "... Already off to get your kicks somewhere else then? You don't waste any time, do you?" her eyes were glued to the television screen as she spoke to him, whilst her voice attacked him with its bitterness.

Her remark _not quite _what Edward had expected to hear, and he found himself struck between half laugh and half fury. "Excuse me?" he waited until she looked him in the eye. "It wasn't like that at all actually. For your information she's suffering her own relationship dramas," he told her, but she simply gave an unconvincing reply of, "Oh really".

He frowned, taken aback by her attitude. "You're not serious!?"

She shrugged back moodily, "Well how am I to know you don't have others on the side". She grabbed the TV remote and proceeded to flick her way through the channels, but he was quick to snatch it away from her, throwing it onto the opposite couch, and she felt her breathing grow heavy in impatience.

"Ok, I'm going to put this insanely jealous, over-irrational Bella down to your hormones," he went to walk away. "Oh but just so you do know, if I really _was_ seeing other people, it wouldn't be anything to do with you. No strings remember? Or did you forget?" he scolded her, offended by her accusations; his frustration leading him to reaffirm the details of their little arrangement. Making it known that he was his own man, not bound to anyone but himself.

His words cut deep though, and due to her sensitive state, tear drops stung her eyes as she looked at him. Unable to take anymore, she stormed straight past him, running up the stairs and into her room; leaving Edward feeling as rotten as ever...

* * *

She sobbed, hugging her pillow to her chest; hormones combined with the hurtfulness of Edwards words just fuelling Bella's emotions.

She knew she was out of line, that her state of misery simply led her to make those allegations. But she'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it. Pondering the prospect that this Tanya, or, whoever, was just another notch beside Bella's on his belt.

Maybe _she should_ have more faith in him…

A light tap on the door was then heard, but Edward didn't wait for a response, he opened the door and stepped inside a second later. Running a hand over the back of his neck he squeezed, a sensation of guilt prickled his skin.

"I'm sorry," he paused taking a deep breath. "I don't even know why I said all that," his voice grew louder to Bella as he took a step further inside.

"You have to know that I'm not seeing anyone else" he went on. "My friendship with Tanya is just that, a good friendship … and I respect you enough that I'd tell you if I was ever seeing someone else. And I hope you would for me too…" he sighed as she failed to acknowledge him. "Anyway I'll, I'll leave you to sleep".

He lingered for a moment or two, with the hope that she would be willing to forgive him, but she remained well hidden, huddled up tight in her quilt.

Regretfully he attempted to walk away, but in that instance Bella shifted on the bed, and a hand reaching out for him tugged at his wrist.

"_Don't go"._ She sulked. And her blotchy red eyes were just too heartbreaking to leave. "_Will you… just hold me_," she pleaded with him, and a noticeable tear trickled down her cheek. She hadnt felt this sorry for herself in a long while.

He smiled back softly, running a finger against her skin, and wiping away the moistness that loitered there. "As if you have to ask" he hushed down to her.

And it didn't take much further thought after that, before Edward had laid himself downwards onto the bed, and spooned her into his chest. He placed a light kiss to the side of her head then as she settled into him, and his hand slid beneath her top, his warm palm and fingers caressing her tender stomach as he soothed her into a peaceful sleep…

**Please review :)**


	8. Chapter 7

**Aw, thanks for the comments =] I was surprised to get so many for that last chapter, for some reason it seemed a little harder to write than the rest =/ lol**

**Anyway, enjoy =D!**

Chapter 7:

7pm. Monday Evening.

"You're in the end cubicle dear; the two dresses your moms picked out are on the hangers ready for you to try". Bella's mouth opened a jar, almost ready to protest at the shop assistants inappropriate use of the term 'mom'. But she chose to let it go; residing to the fact that come early August the whole mom thing would be pretty much set in stone. Not that she'd ever consider going around calling Esme' 'mom,' although Charlie would certainly approve.

"Thanks" Bella smiled in return.

"No worries dear. Let us know if you need anything" the lady called back as Bella made her way down the changing room passageway; stepping inside the final cubicle and drawing the curtain across.

Slipping out of her clothes she stepped into the first floor length dress. She'd doubled up on the big lady pants today for extra protection, only hoping that it wouldn't cause a hindrance when she came to pull the zip up.

Success! And she stood at the full length mirror, analyzing her appearance in the reflection of the glass. She removed the tie in her hair, running her fingers through the strands to rest on her shoulders, trying to make an attempt at the look on the day of the Wedding, before slipping back through the curtain and down to an awaiting Esme'.

"Oh Bella," sighed Esme' who rose from her seat to walk towards her, sweeping up a brewing tear with her finger at the corner of her eye, as it threatened to spill over. "You look absolutely stunning. Like an angel" she briefly ran her hands up and down Bella's arms as she stood in front of her.

Bella offered a feeble smile in return. "Well, I'm not feeling my best today, but..." She went on to make excuses, but Esme' was having none of it.

"Nonsense! You look perfect!" exclaimed her soon to be stepmother, "In fact, I don't even think I need to see the other dress. That's definitely the one, hands down".

A blushing Bella gave a timid nod of response, running her hand over the silky material of the dress and smiling. She'd never owned a _real_ dress before. Only cocktail dresses, and she had to admit, she felt a million dollars wearing this one. She mused to herself whilst Esme' and the dress makers checked her over, wondering how it must feel to step into that special white Wedding Gown for the first ever time, and to walk down the aisle wearing it towards the one you loved. She only hoped that maybe one day, she would also have that honour.

…………………………

"How'd it go then?" asked Edward, as Bella and Esme' joined him along with Charlie for evening dinner. They'd decided to eat out tonight, at a popular Italian Restaurant in the heart of the City. The late appointment at the dress makers meant they wouldn't arrive home until late, consequently pushing dinner even further back. So it just made sense to eat out.

"Oh it went wonderfully well! The dresses fit perfectly. Well," she put her hand up to halt herself, "a few minor adjustments are needed with mine, but nothing major. Bella looked beautiful though," gushed a proud Esme'.

"Please" scoffed Bella softly as she shook her head at her compliments, reaching over to grab the Restaurant Menu as everyone stared at her.

"Come on Bellz, you'd look good in a bin liner" added Charlie, "Its good genes is what it is. My genes, that is" he smiled, his eye winking at his daughter as he took a gulp of his coke.

"No ones denying that dad" Bella smiled back, noticing Edward grinning to himself at the corner of her eye, so she busied herself in looking at the Menu.

Stretching his arms out wide, Edward yawned, in doing so he spoke about how exhausted he'd been of late, putting it down to the fact that the lack of university meant his recent days consisted of virtually nothing, hence his tiredness. Within the heart of the conversation, Edward allowed his one arm to rest on the top of Bella's chair, just at the back of her neck. Their parents thought nothing of it of course, barely batting an eyelid; after all, it was quite a casual posture for a man to take, but at the feeling of his arm brushing the area beneath her ponytail at the base of her neck, Bella grew rigid, almost frozen in time at the subtle but meaningful contact. At that, she lost complete track of the conversation.

For a moment she contemplated leaning forward, and removing temptation completely, but in actual fact, she ended up doing the total opposite. Instead, she acknowledged his touch by shaking her head a little, her ponytail going with it, as she rubbed her neck with his arm for a split second.

Physical contact in front of their parents, no matter how tiny, was usually a no go zone, especially considering Edwards affect on her, but for some reason, at present, her usual common sense wasn't at the forefront of Bella's mind, so she let it go; quite enjoying the feeling of his arm touching her neck.

The moment was soon to end though, and they were promptly joined by their waiter for the evening; proving to be quite a welcome distraction for Bella…

"Bella Bella Bella, beautiful Bella," Marco, the waiter crooned, becoming fixated on the young fresh faced brunette whose cheeks now blazed a fluorescent pink, a proper Italian bachelor no doubt; making girls swoon was like their religion, or he was potentially a serial bigamist. Either one really.

Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat. After an hour of having to put up with the Italians interest in Bella, it was gradually starting to grate on him. Charlie and Esme' on the other hand, simply laughed back in amusement, delighted by the Italians cheerfulness and over enthusiasm.

"How did you like your dessert?" The waiter questioned her with an accent clearly native to Romance.

"It was lovely, thank you," Bella's plump cheeks continued to glow.

"It was my pleasure. I am so glad you enjoyed it" he smiled, flashing those pearly whites, and Edward couldn't resist the urge to jab his knife into the table.

"Everything ok Sir?" enquired the waiter as he shovelled the plates and bowls into his arms.

"Yeah, everything's just _great_" spoke Edward through gritted teeth, forcing a smile of sarcasm the Italians way before rising to his feet. "I'm going to the toilet" he added, making a point to stare into Bellas eyes, and her head dipped in shame at that, before storming off into the opposite direction, leaving Esme' and Charlie completely bewildered, never having witnessed Edward become so irate for no apparent reason.

For Bella though, it was all plain and clear. He was jealous. Understandably though, considering the waiter had spent the entirety of their evening flirting with her. But Bella had never expected anything to this extent. Edwards jealously was so blatantly obvious, as he failed to even conceal it from their parents in the slightest. She only hoped Esme' and Charlie wouldn't be nearly as perceptive.

"Anything else my friends? Tea? Coffee?" Marco remained as professional as ever.

"Just the bill, thank you," Charlie smiled back politely and the waiter nodded his understanding.

"Well" spoke Charlie after a moment, "that was … weird", a frown appeared on his face.

"What was?" Bella opted for ignorance, hoping it would help the situation move along.

"_Edward._ Didn't you see how frustrated he was? Marco was only joking around".

She shrugged indecisively, "I'm sure it wasn't that. It's probably other stuff. Maybe, he has things on his mind". Esme' nodded to herself at Bella's suggestion.

"_Or"_ he emphasised, "maybe he's just a little over protective of his little sister, huh? Seeing another man taking a shine to you like that, he obviously feels the need to step in," Charlie smiled with soft eyes, seemingly content with the conclusion he'd been drawn too.

It wasnt hard for Bella to see how much it all meant to him; family life. And her heart sunk at that; she couldn't help but sigh through her response...

"Probably" Bella smiled back weakly; powerless to avoid the inevitable, as it always followed her around…

"Hey Son, everything alright?" asked Charlie at Edwards return, and Bella's head unavoidably dipped, unable to find the strength to look into his eyes.

"Yeah, of course" answered Edward, who retook his seat beside Bella, and stretched his back out against the chair. "I think I ate too much".

Charlie laughed in response. "Yeah, you're not the only one" he agreed, taking Edward's comment at face value and asking no further questions. It definitely proved to lighten the atmosphere, which Bella for one was certainly grateful for, even if she did feel that knot inside of her twist that little bit more.

……………………………

The walk back to the car through the city's streets was a harsh reminder they weren't in the Italian Riviera… Not even close actually. Instead they walked the bland grey paths of Forks Washington as they headed for the multi-storey parking lot. Just thankful the weather was half decent tonight.

"Yo Cullen!" an unfamiliar voice to most of them, called out from the opposite side of the street, and all heads turned to face it.

There, up ahead, stood a tall pretty-faced female with long strawberry blonde curls. She wore a red dress with a three quarter length jacket, her handbag swung over her shoulder as she waved across to them with a grin from cheek to cheek. Bella's heart sunk into her chest at the sight of the other woman, an overwhelming feeling of unease washing over her. She could easily take a wild guess to who this was...

"Hey!" Edwards face beamed at the sight of his friend, and ensuring there were no cars approaching, he made his way across the road; family in toe. "You know, don't get standing there for too long, you might give people the wrong idea" he smirked at where she stood, alone and on the corner of the street.

"Oh Edward!" his mother scolded him, shaking her head.

"What!? She knows I'm only kidding" he smiled back at his mother. "Tanya you remember my mom. And this is Charlie and Bella".

"Nice to meet you," Tanya's warm personality shone through as her intrigued eyes landed on each family member one by one. While Bella did her utter most to plaster on a friendly smile; it seemed to take an awful lot of effort though.

"Family night out huh?"

"Something like that" smiled Charlie.

"We had a dress fitting for the wedding so we thought we'd hang back and grab some food" Esme' added. "You will come to the wedding, wont you?"

"Of course. I'd be honoured," Tanya's eyes radiated with happiness.

"You look lovely, are you off somewhere nice?" Esme' went on, inspecting her son's best friends appearance.

"Actually yeah. I have a date", she told Esme' with not a stray of anxiousness or embarrassment, unlike Bella, who would no doubt be blushing a mile off if she was ever asked that question, before Tanya turned to face Edward, her eyes opening wide. "Remember that guy I mentioned?"

"Oh yeah, the magician with the big head?" he answered matter of factly, he nodded almost robotically.

"It's not _that_ big" her head tilted as she sighed.

"Yeah you're right, I guess it does depend on the angle" he replied smartly and she chuckled back rolling her eyes.

"You know one of these days I'm actually going to settle down with the guy of my dreams, and you will be shocked Edward Cullen, _shocked!" _she playfully poked him in the chest.

"_Oh_ _Tan_, you never fail to shock me" he smirked back.

Standing on the side lines meanwhile, Bella's heart shattered into a thousand pieces, stomped and trodden on by Tanya's high stiletto heels, as she observed their friendly interaction.

To an oblivious onlooker you'd assume these two individuals were a little more than _just friends, _Bella thought to herself quietly. Tanya was confident, charming, funny and attractive, a complete mirror image of Edward, who equally shared those traits. And as realisation hit her hard, Bella suddenly felt awfully inadequate, watching their exchange with longing eyes.

Bella had always been quite content with the woman she'd become, never overly concerned with trying to be someone she's not. But now she faced her opponent for the first ever time, this young beautiful woman, who was clearly adored by everyone that knew her, she was starting to feel a surge of nausea hit her insides rather than much self-satisfaction.

"Well I should probably head off anyway. Cant leave him waiting for too long," Tanya's voice teased at the prospect of her date waiting for her, and Bella proceeded to hate her all the more.

"Yeah, he'll be floating the cutlery by the time you get there" Edward teased. She whacked his arm as he mocked her, before she stepped forward hugging him tight. "I'll call you when I get chance alright," she said as she pulled away and he nodded in response.

"It was really nice meeting you all" Tanya grinned as she stepped away, "And I guess, I'll see you at the wedding" she practically cheered, walking away and giving another wave as she went.

"Yeah, definitely! Have a good night!" Charlie called back. "Aw, what a sweet girl" he turned to Bella who simply nodded back, but remained tight lipped.

The walk and drive home for Bella was a nightmare after that, with the topic of discussion on Tanya, and how great she was. With Edward telling his parents stories of university life, and how much fun they'd had together. And Esme' even questioning Edward why he'd never even considered asking her out. "You'd be so perfect for each other Edward," she'd said with so much hopefulness.

At that, Bella could no longer stand it; drawing herself further and further away from the conversation, and eventually choosing to shut her mind off completely, by stuffing her ear buds into her ears as far as they could go, and cranking her I-Pod up loud. She then blasted her mind with the only thing that did make sense to her right now, forget love songs, this called for hard rock and nothing less, before closing her eyes...

**O oh, it seems Bella's made her mind up about this Tanya. But is Bella right to worry? Could another 3 days wait have Edward running off to Tanya to relieve his sexual frustration? Or has she got their relationship completely wrong? Stay tuned to find out ;)**

**Sooo, I'm wondering if you could get me up to 80 reviews =P I'll love you all even more if you do xD**

**Comments? **


	9. Chapter 8

**Dudes! You never fail to amaze me with your support for this fic =D!**

**Can't believe I exceeded my 80 reviews! So happy xD! Thanks guys! Keep it up, I want 100 now =P Aha!**

**Enjoy…**

Chapter 8:

Dear diary,

I met Tanya today. You know, that _friend_ of Edwards. The oh so wonderful and infamous Tanya! The one that everyone seems to fall in love with at just the sight of. Edward failed to mention she was hot…

Her face is still etched in my mind. Catching first sight of her was like ice cold water splashing across my face unexpectedly. That flawless appearance with not a freckle in sight, and that pretty blonde hair, not a curl out of place – just the thought of it makes me want to punch something, or someone. I never thought I could ever feel this angry and upset over another woman before, but apparently so.

And if that's my competition, then I may as well just give up now.

I know I shouldn't be thinking that way. Edward and I will never be together like that and I have to learn to accept it (I will learn one day, I promise)… but if we could, if we were actually given a chance, a small possibility even, for whatever reason, he would surely never choose _me_ over _her?_ How could he? He'd be insane too.

She seemed so completely lovely; with no hint of awkwardness or embarrassment following her around. She was like a ray of sunshine; beaming with confidence. My personality must appear so bland compared to hers.

And the day had been turning out so well too! Following our slight mishap from two days ago, in which my hormones had got the better of me. I'd stupidly accused him of cheating on me with Tanya, which, up until the moment I laid eyes on her, I would've said was completely irrational. Particularly after his little speech about how he respects me too much to ever want to cheat on me. But now, I'm not so sure.

If he ever _was_ put in that position, in which Tanya offered it all to him on a silver platter, would he really just turn her down and walk away? Given he could have a normal and open relationship with her?

I think not. Even Esme' tried to force the issue.

_*Sigh*_

And to think I quite enjoyed being a witness to Edward's jealousy this past week; his green eyed envy when another guy was involved provided me with a substantial amount of satisfaction, despite how selfish that must make me. But, when the shoe is on the other foot, it's not so enjoyable, as I'm finding out.

Maybe it's fate. Or maybe gods trying to tell me to get out now, while there's still time! Who knows? Perhaps dating someone new wouldn't be such a bad idea after all?

I could date someone new, _and_ still see Edward on the side!

Who am I kidding though? He'd never go for that. He'd only get me back by pursuing some big boobed blonde bombshell, just to prove a point to me.

_*Huff*_

I have to go, I can't even think straight right now; I'm too annoyed…

_Bella xxx_

**The following day: 4.30pm**.

Bzzzzzz

The cell phone vibrated on her floor, the screen lighting up, drawing Bella's attention away from her pile of work which was left sprawled across her floor. Sliding it open 'Alice's' name popped up as a new message.

_Heading into Port Angeles for a bit. Want to come? _

_A xxx_

Bella sighed at the message, astonished that Alice could even take a night off with how much work they all had. And although she wanted nothing more than to spend a few hours with her best friend, with a chance to chat and forget all about life's little dramas, she tended to avoid it these days. Alice was incredibly perceptive, and caring, and given Bella had been feeling rather sorry for herself over the past few days, a question or two from Alice followed by a look of concern and Bella would for sure give in, venting everything to Alice without a seconds thought.

But she couldn't, never wanting to put Alice in that position, where lying was suddenly the norm, like a second language.

Selecting the 'reply' icon she went to answer. She managed one single word before she was interrupted by a tap at her door.

"Come in!" she called, knowing exactly who it was. Cancelling the message she placed the phone back onto the floor; making a mental note to text Alice back later on.

"Hey" Edward poked his head around the door. "How's it going in here?"

She sighed at the sight of him standing there, as beautiful as ever; there was certainly no hope for her, she couldn't escape him even if she wanted too… not that she did want to of course. She shrugged her shoulders, for some reason going on the defensive, "Fine", before turning back to her work.

He made his way inside, sitting down onto her floor in front of her, firstly laying his eyes on her work, before focusing his vision onto her, as she dipped her head to avoid him.

"Is everything ok?" he finally asked. And if she hadn't been so ridden with her own jealously she might have revelled in the blatant level of concern that graced his voice. "You've been really quiet lately".

Bella merely sighed in response. "Haven't we already been through this?"

"Yeah. But … that was then, this is now". He argued, picking up one of her pens and twiddling it with his fingers.

"I need that" she told him expressionlessly, signalling to the pen he'd taken. He analyzed the pen with inquisitive eyes, nodding after a moment before handing it back to her; silently she took it, their fingers brushing as she did.

"So, what did you think of Tanya anyway?" questioned a hesitant Edward, curious of her response.

Bella shrugged her shoulders once again, hoping to come across blasé and uncaring as she proceeded to scribble her name and date on the top of the sheet. "She seemed nice enough. I guess … But how can you know anything after spending only two minutes with a person" her eyes remained fixed on her work booklet.

"Well, I think you'd really like her once you got to know her. I recon you've got a lot in common actually. You might even become really good friends".

'_A lot in common?'_ What did that mean!? Sex with Edward sprung to mind, but Bella tried to brush it aside, he'd made it clear before that Tanya was just a good friend, and so she would give him the benefit of the doubt for that. But it didn't mean she'd have to start liking her.

"I'm fine with the friends I've got thanks," an inconsiderate Bella answered distantly.

He huffed at her attitude. "Look" he smacked a hand down flat onto her sheet, blocking the information from her eyes. He was quickly growing impatient with her games. "I know you feel threatened by her, but there's really no need". _Now that_ caught her attention. Tearing her vision away from Edwards sprawled out hand, she looked at him directly; not at all pleased by his accusations, despite him being right on the mark.

"I'm not threatened by anyone" she snapped back, "especially not _Tanya" _she placed emphasis onto the name; laced with a tang of bitterness. "I'm so very sorry that I'm not totally in love with her like everyone else is. Yes, I'm sure she's really great, but do we have to constantly keep going on about her!?" she rambled through her state of agitation.

Edward shook his head at her unbelievable state of jealousy. "Whatever," he scoffed, pulling an, 'I really can't be bothered with this anymore' face at her, before removing his hand. Allowing ignorance to consume her, Bella went back to her work.

"Maybe I should go" he spoke after a moment of silence. Apparently him being there just really wasn't helping. "You're not going to get anything done with me here" he made his excuses as he rose to his feet.

Bella's eyes failed to stray from her paper whilst he lingered at her doorway, it wasn't until Edward had left and the door closed behind him, that she put a hand to her head and sighed. What was she doing? Her jealousy was pushing him away. She didn't want that.

She forcefully tried to remind herself of their 'no strings' deal. Maybe repeating it over and over again in her head would help it sink in, because no longer could they go on like this. The tension between them was like a car crash waiting to happen, and there were far too many potential casualties involved with this incident.

Something had to give…

………………………

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Bella stood nervously outside Edward's bedroom door. Their parents were still out, more wedding dramas to be solved apparently, but the time alone hadn't been taken advantage of like it usually would've for Bella and Edward. And although Bella craved to feel Edwards hands on her body, his tongue caressing her own and her leg hitched at his hip, she was growing increasingly concerned over her recent behaviour.

She raised her hand in an attempt to knock the door, but froze; the butterflies in her stomach more like bats now, fearing that once she did face him, she might say something wrong and only push him further away. With a sigh she turned on her heel; ready to head back to her room for further moping and mental torment, but the door swung open a second later, and she turned back around to see Edward, who now stood at his doorway in question.

"Bella?" his face frowned, fixed with confusion as he waited for her.

"Hi" she took a big shaky breath in. "Um… I came, to apologise".

His head bobbed once after seconds of him staring at her, "Right", before he stepped aside, letting her in.

Now was her chance, to make not everything, but something's better. She only hoped she wouldn't screw it up.

"I don't, really know what to say," she turned on her heel to observe him closing the door. Suddenly feeling stupid; she'd never had to apologise to Edward before. It was usually the other way around. "I just… I'm sorry for the way I've acted the past few days. I could put it down to hormones but, it's not just that. I'd just be making excuses …" She couldn't believe she was about to openly admit to him, that her jealousy had gotten the better of her, but it needed to be said, even if she did only admit it in a round-about-way. "You were right, I guess. Maybe I am getting a little, paranoid or something. Everything's just getting on top of me," she brushed her hair behind her ears. "School, the wedding… _us,_" she sighed with helplessness and a sense of longing. Did the term 'us' even qualify for them anymore? "I thought I could handle it, but, obviously not. But even so, the last thing I want is for you to hate me".

He focused hard on what she'd said, appreciative that she'd found the strength to own up to her behaviour. Too bad he wasn't manly enough to admit he also got jealous now and then. And if their honesty was reciprocated, Edward might have gone as far as admitting that he'd spent the majority of the previous evening having to counsel himself out of jabbing his fork into the waiters eye. Yes, there was no doubt about it; Bella wasn't the only one who struggled with feelings of jealousy.

"Bella, I could never hate you. I've come close, believe me" smirked Edward, "But, it wouldn't happen" his eyes softened.

She was relieved to hear that much, and a small smile spread across her face. "Well… well that's it anyway" she said shrugging, feeling more nervous around him now than ever before. For so long Bella had been the one to make their 'no strings' deal continually known, but it was only recently that jealousy had reared its ugly head, shifting things completely. She wondered silently where this would leave their relationship.

"I'll er, I'll leave you to it". She started for the door, but his hand on her arm caused her to stop.

"You don't have to go" Edward informed her. "In fact" a teasing smile played on his lips, "I _urge_ you not too" he added, and she couldn't help but smile back. "I've … I've missed you" he could barely look into her eyes as he said that; not usually one to become so nervy around her, his confidence usually brimmed, but things were different now. They were actually talking about their feelings for one, which was a complete turn around! "Its weird, I feel like, I haven't seen you in days or something" his brow twitched a little following his statement.

She was pleased to hear he'd missed her. She only hoped it wasn't the sex he was solely referring too.

"Come here, turn around" he told her, and she turned her back towards him. He then went on to knead her shoulders, applying pressure to the knots and tight muscles he located, and massaging them to release. Her head almost rolled back at the contact.

"You're so tense" he observed, pausing a little to remove her open shirt and dropping it to the floor. She stood then in her white laced tank top, her neck on show as he brushed her hair to one side.

His breath on her neck had her toes curling up into the carpet in sheer excitement. And at first touch of his plump lips on her skin, her eyes fell shut, a goofy smile drifting onto her face as he peppered light kisses along the expanse of her neck.

Unable to resist him any longer, she spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him desperately.

He kissed her back, responding to her with just as much passion and force. They stumbled back towards his bed, the wooden frame of the bed hitting the backs of her legs, before he ushered her down gently onto the duvet, pressing himself on top of her. Her legs wound around his waist, claiming him as hers.

It'd felt so long since they'd been together, the last time being the club night, when she'd taken a step on the wild side and found herself getting up close and personal with her fathers Chevy.

It was now that she realised she wouldn't half mind going back to that place and reliving that moment all over again. She'd gladly do it anywhere in fact, if it meant she could be with Edward.

He frowned, brought to attention as he felt her hand fumbling with the zip on his jeans. Despite every inch of him wanting her to carry on, he stopped her, in the process breaking their kiss.

"_We cant"_ he informed her breathlessly; face deflated as he looked down at her. It took her a moment before she registered why. Remembering whereabouts she was in her monthly cycle, and no matter how much she wanted Edward, or how badly she ached to feel him, there was no way in hell she would ever become _that_ desperate… the thought was utterly disturbing considering her state at present.

"Oh right… yeah. I almost forgot" she spoke miserably, but he simply smiled back at her adoringly, brushing his thumb over her rosy cheek.

"In a few days though, for sure" he tried to cheer her up, moving over a little to one side, giving her room to make her more comfortable.

"Two actually. I should be fine by Friday" her face beamed at just the thought of it. And his eyebrows rose at her words, "Is that right?" his eyes blazed at her with desire.

She nodded back, gazing back into his eyes dreamily. He placed a slow passionate kiss onto her lips. This kiss was one of those one-offs that occurred between them only once in awhile, it was meaningful and sensual, and she immediately sunk into him, moaning into his magic. She always savoured these kisses more so than their more common rougher ones. The hungry, animalistic side to their sex was great when it started, but now Bella craved for something more thoughtful… even if it did threaten to break the boundaries of their little agreement.

Pulling away he scanned her expression. "It's nice to see you smile" he noted, and her cheeks flushed at his sweetness. "And hey, two days is nothing" he brushed it off uncaringly. "We'll just have to think of something else to do to pass the time" he teased her playfully, hovering above her as his hands slid up her sides towards her bra. But a voice downstairs calling for them, "Edward? Bella? You guys here!?" caused him to stop abruptly. "Or not" added Edward hastily, pulling himself away from her and helping her up.

"Just hold that thought" Bella told him, a glint in her eye, before fixing her shirt. Together they made their way down the stairs, with smiles of happiness on both of their faces for once…

**Preview: Things are finally back on track with Bella and Edward! And a trip to the local library has Edward delightfully intrigued =P**

**But will an unexpected discovery change everything forever? What could it be? And who discovers it?**

**Stay tuned to find out…**

**Please comment if you're still with me! =D**


	10. Chapter 9

**Long chapter ahead :O**

**Thanks again for the comments … you have no idea how happy/motivated they make me =D**

**Hope you enjoy…**

**Chapter 9:**

Thursday

It wouldn't have mattered if the birds weren't chirping outside, or if the suns rays were to become replaced by clouds of rain, casting their grey misery over the entire City of Forks Washington, nothing could ruin Bella's mood for the day, as she woke up for the first time in ages, feeling refreshed, happy and in control.

Though there would never be a day in which the guilt of her relationship with Edward, didn't nag her at the back of her mind, she resolved to take things easier for once. To not allow her over-analytical mind to get the better of her, or get wound up in the fear of getting caught. From now on, a new and chilled out Bella Swan would take the shoes of the old one.

Edward had been right from the start, it was just something they did, simple as that, like a hobby or sport; granted, not exactly the most conventional sport to undertake, but certainly nothing to spend hours biting your nails over.

No one would get hurt, because no one would find out.

It'd been the last few days that had done it. The arguing, the jealously, the constant tension; it was completely unnecessary. They both knew where they stood with each other, and that was surely all that mattered.

Now, sat in her first class of the day on this bright sunny Thursday morning, Bella drifted off to a happy memory, the lecture on Human Biology could wait, as she thought back to last night, when Edward had surprised her with an unexpected appearance…

*Flashback*

"_Bella?" she heard someone hush into her ear and felt a warm minty breath drift across her skin. She lay on her front as she came around, feeling as a cool hand slid beneath her pyjama top and up the surface of her back; Goosebumps prickled across her skin in excitement. _

"_Edward?" she sighed, eyes opening a fraction to see him perched at the side of her bed. "What time is it?" she asked deliriously. _

"_Its 3am" he told her. "I'm sorry to wake you. I just … couldn't hold that thought any longer" he smiled. And she grinned back sleepily, remembering the day's events so fondly. _

_Bella scooted over, allowing him room to lie down beside her. "You can wake me whenever you want" she softly replied. And Edward was happy to hear that. Although by the look of her tired face, would try to avoid waking her every night. Exams were fast approaching and she needed her beauty sleep; he'd hate to continually steal that from her. _

_Touching her cheek he closed the gap between them, placing his lips to hers with a tender kiss. After a moment he pulled away, scanning her face with his eyes. _

_He admired her features adoringly. Bella was what Edward liked to call, a natural beauty. And it was at times like this, in the depths of the night, that he found her most enthralling. She never wore much makeup anyway, only the odd eyeliner or mascara to enhance her eyes, but it was right now, as she displayed only her natural essence, that her true exquisiteness could be really discovered. _

"_You're beautiful," he hushed across to her, as he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, prompting Bella's cheeks to flush, as the blood flow rushed to her skin at his compliment. _

_Recapturing her lips for a longer kiss she wound her arms around him, pulling him closer, whilst she adjusted her body in an attempt to scramble on top of him, kissing him harder. _

_She pulled away as she positioned herself over him, straddling him like a horse, whilst a happy sigh parted her lips, and she felt as his hands practically swam up the front of her chest. _

_She let her eyes close shut, and couldn't help but grind into him as his hands massaged her breasts, the movement of her pressing into him triggering his own arousal into action. _

_Edward worked her body in a circular motion, with Bella's hips and waist mimicking the rhythm. And it wasn't until she'd reached her climax that his hands left her breasts, retreating to her hips where he held her in place. _

_Eventually she found herself lying down on top of him, her head tucking below his chin where she huddled for almost the remainder of the night. She wasn't sure when he'd left, but she held a vague memory of him placing her back onto the bed, enveloping her up with the duvet and pecking a light kiss to her forehead. _

*End of Flashback*

A dopey smile lingered across Bella's face as she took a brief step back in time; her chin was in her hand as she rested her elbow on the table's surface. She was in a daze, completely unaware of her surroundings as she quite contentedly allowed her mind to wander elsewhere.

It was the sensation of a gentle vibration against her hip that forced her mind to retreat to where it rejoined her physical presence, as her phone alerted her of a new message received.

With a shake of her head and several thorough blinks, she found herself back in the classroom. Eyes coming into focus at the image of her teacher up ahead scrawling on the white board, and that drawly mono-toned voice of his, passed her ears as the audio came into clarity.

Making a subtle attempt at checking her phone she held it on her lap, eyes glancing down every so often to read the message, but ensuring she looked like she was paying attention, as the teacher cast a beady eye across the classrooms occupants.

There was no denying the smile that spread over her face though, as she took note of the sender's name… Edward.

_T-minus 24 hours =D Not that I'm counting or anything =P _

_E xxx_

She knew exactly what that meant, and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't woken up this morning with precisely that same thought. And now, just reading the message and knowing he was thinking about it too, caused a slightly woozy nervousness to hit her stomach at the anticipation of it.

Being a master at blind texting, she retyped her reply, eyes all the while fixed on the teacher's animated instruction.

_I think you're a tad obsessed, understandably though =P Maybe you should seek therapy ;) B xxx _

She hit send, and barely two seconds later, she was reading his response…

_I'm game. Care to join me? ;) xxx_

She couldn't prevent the tiny snicker that passed her lips. What a tempting proposition; a private therapy session with Edward, she pondered to herself, ignorant of the world around her.

"You seem brighter today," Alice's voice hushed to her left, taking note of Bella's expression, whilst a distracted Bella revelled in Edward's text.

Brought back to reality and noticeably red faced, Bella shoved the phone back into her pocket, before flashing an awkward smile Alice's way; only hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better thanks" smiled Bella, keeping her voice at a minimum to avoid being overheard by others, particularly the teacher, who despite his increasing level of maturity, still had the eyes and ears of a hawk. "You know how it is every month, up one minute down the next" she went on, rolling her eyes. Well, that wasn't _exactly_ a lie. But she was surprised by Alice's level of perception; clearly Bella's tension over the last few days had been more obvious than she'd thought

Alice nodded back understandingly. "And how about the wedding stuff? Is that all sorted now?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm not really sure" spoke an uncertain Bella, as she proceeded to imitate the teachers drawing onto her workbook sheet. "I've tried to stay out of it to be honest; too much madness for my liking. I mean, it took them _days_ just to pick the right cake out. How hard is that!?" she pulled a face at her friend, causing Alice to chuckle.

"They're leaving soon though, right?"

"Yeah, this weekend," Bella tried not to let her disappointment show as she took a moment to stare thoughtfully at the page in front of her. She'd actually forgotten that Edward would be leaving in a couple of days. And if she had remembered, she probably wouldn't have wasted so much time sulking in her misery days on end. "But they'll be back in like 3 weeks for the wedding, and then, for good," added Bella. And that was also another thing she'd taken an extra amount of effort to _not_ think about. The new house was ready to move into, and following the wedding, they'd all move in and be a real family for once. She still wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Wow, its going to be weird, huh?" Alice pulled her back from the place where Bella's thoughts often had her wandering.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's always only ever been you and Charlie, now you suddenly have a whole other family to go home too... It'll be strange but, it'll be good for you".

Bella smiled softly as she pondered the inevitable. "Yeah" she sighed involuntarily, "I hope so".

"Well why wouldn't it be?" enquired an unknowing Alice, catching Bella slightly off guard. But before Bella dug herself into an even bigger hole, the teacher thankfully caught on.

"Miss Brandon, Miss Swan" his voice was deep and hoarse with exasperation, "perhaps you could continue your conversation during break time, rather than in the confines of my classroom" his eyes were as wide and as round as golf balls.

All heads turned to face them like a Mexican Wave. Taking in the many eyes that now landed on them, Bella smiled back sheepishly. "Sorry, sir".

"Unless of course you'd like to continue this after school? Say, whilst washing down tables for instance? They could do with a clean," Sniggers could be heard from the rest of their classmates and Bella forced back the brewing scowl on her brow.

"As tempting as it is sir, I think we'll pass on that one," Alice's voice chimed; her angelic face enough to win anyone over.

"Very well" he grunted, "let's have mouths shut and eyes on your own papers please. And may I also remind you that exams are in less than 2 weeks. So unless you feel like retaking or ditching Uni, I suggest you jot this down!"

Sharing a mutual look of unease, they did as they were told.

………………………………

(3pm)

Full days were now a thing of the past, and as Exams fast approached so did the increasing number of free periods. Finishing lessons at the more convenient time of 2pm meant Bella had the rest of the afternoon for extra revision.

After informing Edward of her plans and whereabouts, she headed straight for the City Library, hopping onto the local bus where it dropped her off right outside.

She spent a good half an hour searching for the books, photocopying anything that could be essential for her exams, before she settled herself down on one of the tables in the far corner.

Grabbing a self service coffee from the machine she started to read…

…

(3.30pm)

Edward grinned to himself sneakily, as he located her on the second floor at the furthest corner of the room; her hair was like a waterfall down her face as she fixed her eyes on the book, absorbing its information.

He snuck over to her quietly, keeping out of view until he came up behind her. He attempted to spring her from behind, but paused as something caught his eye, and he took note of the book she was reading… or not reading, as he now discovered.

From a distance, Bella appeared to be engrossed in a Psychology Text Book, but gaining a closer look, he learnt that not all was as it seemed. Apparently something else entirely had caught her attention. Beneath the larger text book, hid a smaller book; deep red with golden patterning. He watched with glee as she tried her uttermost to conceal it from passers-by (not that there even were any mind you, the library was deserted), with her arms spreading out to mask the true identity of the book she was reading. But as she awkwardly turned the page, her one hand juggling the weight of the Text Book, while her other aimed to discreetly turn the page of the smaller book, it accidently fell shut, revealing the Title to Edward in all its glory.

He grinned cunningly as he read the words, his head shaking a little as he tried not to laugh. You know that saying, the cat that got the cream? Well that was Edward now.

Finally leaning over her, placing his hands either side of her on the table, he alerted her of his presence.

_"Sex and the Art of Seduction"_ he read it aloud passed her ear; their cheeks almost abreast.

She gasped, frozen on the spot as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and in the process, dropping the heavy text book onto the Sex Guide with a thump.

"Sorry" a brazen Edward apologised for making her jump, "didn't mean to interrupt your… study time," he smirked, his lips almost touching her skin, before he pushed himself off the table and took the seat by her side.

She cringed at the fact she'd got busted. And by Edward of all people!

The dorky grin on his face now told her he wouldn't let this go. "Its… it's not what it looks like" she felt the need to lie, just to hold onto a little self-respect.

"Oh really?" his eyebrows raised, and she could tell he was loving this.

"Yeah, it's actually, for school, for a school project" she confirmed, hoping it was remotely plausible.

He frowned, not entirely sure whether to believe her. "I thought Sex Ed class stopped at year 7?"

"Well, it did. But they changed it. They felt it was so vitally important that it should run up until the end of year 12 as well" she went on, surprised in herself that she'd remained so straight faced.

"Oh, fair enough. So this, School project on The Art of Seduction. Were you, planning on doing a demonstration or…?" a smirk played on his lips as he questioned her, and Bella knew there was no winning to this.

"Well, actually," she attempted to go on, but as he leant in, attempting a look of mock interest, she gave up, knowing it was no use. "_Ugh_, fine" she groaned before laughing. "It's not for school. I just, happened to stumble across it. I thought I'd give it a read" she shrugged with a smile of embarrassment; mortified at having to admit to it.

"Oh right" he nodded back amused, "you just, stumbled across it, did you?" he grinned.

"Yes, I was looking for Psychology books. Someone had stuffed it down the side. I really didn't go searching for it. It was just there, and I was, curious" she shrugged a little, but wanting to hide her rosy cheeks.

"I believe you" he said after awhile, the grin on his face never leaving. "So what's it say in there anyway?" he budged further towards her, and her head rose to look into his eyes, he was suddenly so close she could almost kiss him. "Are there any cool manoeuvres we could try?" he asked, and she smiled back at him timidly. "Do they rank them? Where do they rank truck sex?" Edward smartly asked, knowing how much it would drive her crazy, and it did, and she sprung from her seat in alarm, her eyes wide open as the memory of it flashed through her mind, he tried his best to stifle his snigger. Delighted by how much it affected her.

"Were going" Bella told him sternly, placing the books back onto any random shelf and hastily heading for the stairs. Never would she want _that_ conversation with Edward. It took all the strength in the world for her not to think about it as it was.

"Still embarrassed about that, huh?" he caught her up, feeling the need to tease her.

"More like scarred for life actually" Bella smiled back at him playfully.

"Oh please. You're begging for another go. I can see it in your eyes".

"Edward!" she scolded him, halting half way down the stairs. "Can you at least wait until were outside! People can hear you!" she argued, but kept her voice at a minimum level.

"Bella, there's no one even here! We could have sex right here on the stairs and no one would notice" he told her. "I'm game if you are?" his eyes lit up excitedly.

Her eyes shot wide open at his comment, and she huffed dramatically before carrying on down. Edward simply sniggered back, happy they'd finally got back to how it used to be…

……………………………

(5.30pm)

"Oh perfect! Just in time!" announced Charlie at the return of Edward and Bella. "I'm sorting through the stuff in the loft ready for the move. Fancy giving the old man a hand?" he tapped Edward on the arm.

"Yeah sure. No problem. Just let me change and I'll be right with you" Edward made his way up the stairs to his room, whilst Bella headed for the kitchen.

On entering his room though, Edward was brought to a standstill.

"Mom, what are you doing?" asked a concerned Edward, as he walked inside to see his mother rummaging through his belongings.

"Oh I'm just sorting out your clothes ready for the weekend. You'll only leave it until the last minute like you always do and then probably end up forgetting something" she tutted at him, throwing his clothes onto his bed from where they hung messily over the radiator.

"Mom, it's fine. Really, I can do it myself, I'm a big boy," he tried to intervene, but the ever persistent Esme' was having none of it.

"I'll only be a minute!" she rolled her eyes as she chuckled, but her amusement didn't last long, and her eyes fell onto something quite unexpected. "…Edward, what's this?" she leant down the back corner of his bed. And Edward only prayed she hadn't found something she shouldn't have.

Unlucky for him though, she had.

"Ar..are these … _Bella's?"_ she turned to him, almost unable to say the name as she held up the small pink panties in question.

He almost died right then and there; heart in his mouth as he tried to remember to take a breath. "Oh, erm, that's weird. I..I guess, they must have gotten mixed with my laundry or something," Edward came up with his best excuse, hoping to remain relatively blasé about it all, and as equally as confused as Esme'.

"_Strange"_ she muttered after a thoughtful moment, as Edward turned away from her, fumbling with his clothes as a distraction. But that feeling in his stomach made him almost sure she'd sensed something, her eyes seemed to linger on him that extra bit with distinct suspicion and curiosity. Perhaps he hadn't nailed that nonchalance as best as he could have. Edward could deceive, whether he liked it or not, he had that down to a tee thanks to his little agreement with Bella. Acting however, was another matter. Drama was never his best subject when it came to High School.

"Oh well, I'll get these back to Bella" and just like that, Esme' let it go, appearing to barely bat an eyelid at her previously alarming discovery. "_Please try_ and pack at least an hour before we leave Edward" she eyed him with that mothery look he knew so well.

He swallowed away that feeling of dread as best he could, as he turned back to face her. "Yes mom" he smiled at her dutifully, closing the door behind her as she left.

His face scrunched up at his all-mighty cock-up, and his legs almost buckled beneath him. Shakily walking over to the bed he sat on the edge of it; his head in his hands.

A thousand thoughts rushed through Edwards head all at once. The moment had come, when sneaking around could no longer be an option. He'd always known they were treading on thin ice, but now, the ice just got treacherous.

Grabbing his phone off the side with sweaty hands, he searched through his contacts. Hitting the call button he waited patiently for an answer, cursing every ring as it went, his chest growing tighter with every second. But after three rings, they'd responded…

"Hey, it's me … no, actually, I'm not ok. I need to see you…"

**A/N: Damn you Esme'! And it was all going so well =(**

**Hmmm, I wonder who was on the other end of the phone =P**


	11. Chapter 10

**Well the wait is over! I'm here with another loooong chapter. **

**I have to say, it amuses me how some of you can't stand the thought of Esme' and Charlie being together xP … My apologises, because they're in this chapter =P But don't worry, I'm Esme' and Carlisle all the way =D … it just, wouldn't have worked for this story lol.**

**Anyhoo, I'll stop rambling and let the story unveil …**

**Chapter 10:**

**Friday Morning**.

"Your coffee sir" the waitress smiled, as she placed Edward's cup down onto the table, almost curtsying as she did.

"WOW" Tanya's mouth emphasised the phrasing as she watched the waitress walk away.

"What?" a distracted and fidgety Edward took a gulp of his drink, before pulling a face at its bitter taste. "Pass us the sugar Tan" he signalled to the sugar on her side of the table, and she tossed it across to him absentmindedly. Thinking about it now, coffee probably hadn't been the wisest choice, considering his current state of agitation, perhaps a splash of whiskey would've numbed his nerves. Although it was doubtful even that would do much good.

"Could that waitress have _been_ anymore obvious" smirked Tanya, amused at how some women just didn't have any morals at all. Much like herself actually.

Brought to the attention of Edwards unusual bout of silence, she squinted her eyes inquisitively. "So come on then, spit it out. What was so urgent that I needed to cancel my weekly shopping trip for a one on one with you" she failed to beat around the bush. "You know its sales season" she looked at him directly, teasingly, but it failed to do much good.

He did manage a small smile in return, but the feeling in his stomach had his face falling straight. "I think my mom knows" he stated simply.

She almost did a double take, placing her drink back onto the table as she'd gone to take a sip. "And by knows, you mean… you and Bella" she easily filled in the gaps. She'd actually guessed it was about Bella, the majority of their conversations had revolved around her over this past month. It became a little samey after awhile, considering every conversation was virtually identical.

And 'Samey' being, Edward's face lighting up at just the mention of her, whilst Tanya would sit by, twiddling her fingers and thumbs in the hope that one day he'd come to his senses and admit he was really in love with her, Bella, not Tanya. In fact Tanya had even made a bet with herself, way back when their affair had started, guessing it would take a month or two for Edward to realise. Unfortunately, Tanya had long lost that bet awhile ago, realising it often took Edward along time to make sense of what was right in front of him, and clearly Bella was no different; both as oblivious as the other. But Tanya was just thankful Edward felt he could confide in her. She was always happy to lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on. After all, Edward would do the same for her.

"Yeah" he answered after a moment, taking a deep breath. "She, kinda found some of Bella's underwear in my room last night" he awkwardly responded; not usually this nervous around Tanya. In fact he'd had many conversations with her involving woman's underwear. What people failed to know about Tanya was, despite her pretty looks and startling fashion sense, she was very much one of the guys.

Tanya laughed, gobsmacked, "Ok, first of all, how stupid are you for even keeping that stuff!" her eyes opened wide at him.

"I know" he sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair. "But I honestly forgot about it. They must have fallen out of my jacket pocket or something" he pulled a guilty face.

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "Ok. So what did she say?"

"Well, she, didn't really say much" his eyes became shifty almost.

"Okay" she emphasised. "Well what did _you_ say?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"I said, that they'd probably got caught up in my laundry or something" he shrugged, a look of unease on his face; like not even he would believe that.

"Ok. Well, there's no reason that wouldn't be true" she offered, trying to reassure him.

"Yeah, but you didn't see the look on her face. I could just tell, she sensed something was up" he swivelled the cup on the table distractively.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know... I was, actually, kinda hoping, you'd tell me" he said hesitantly, causing her to chuckle.

"You want my advice?" he nodded back sheepishly. "Fine. It seems pretty simple to me. If this really is just about _sex_" she whispered the last part to avoid raising eyebrows. "Then, maybe its time to think less with your pants and more with your head, and put a stop to it … but, if it's something more now, if you actually have something special, something you don't want to give up, then, maybe you should start thinking about, telling them" she shrugged, rather blasé. While a part of her wanted to grab him, shake him and scream at him 'WAKE UP! YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HER YOU IDIOT!' She knew she couldn't very well do that, it was up to Edward to realise and make that decision on his own. He was a big boy, and she was sure he'd get there eventually.

"What! Are kidding!" he kept his voice down, eyeing the room warily, as if his parents were in that very room, "They'd flip!" he said as he looked at her.

"So it is more then!" she exclaimed delighted, pleased she was finally getting somewhere with him.

"I …don't know" he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I've never really thought about it. I've never had too".

"Well maybe it's about time you do" she told him pointedly, her eyes wide.

He paused taking a moment to think. "No way. Charlie would kill me if he ever found out," he sighed, "And even if I did want to be with her and make it official. There's no saying Bella would even want that" his voice softened in sadness.

She smiled, bewildered at his lack of intuition. "Are you kidding me! Edward, I met her for the first time the other day, for practically two minutes, and even in that short space of time, I could see that you're all she ever thinks about. She looked at you like, like it would've killed her to let you go".

He smiled softly, fondly as he thought of Bella. "You know, she's insanely jealous of you" he said, a smirk on his lips. "In fact, I'm pretty sure she hates your guts".

"I figured as much" she rolled her eyes, seemingly delighted by it. "Most girls would do" she lightly chuckled. "But then doesn't that just prove she wants to be with you!"

"Maybe" he answered unconvinced. "But she's been all over the place this past week, hormones and stuff. I never know what she's thinking half the time" he shrugged helplessly.

"Look, the bottom line is, you need to make a decision. This scare with Esme's obviously given you a reality check. Now you have to decide. Do you treat this as a lucky escape and put an end to it now, before anyone gets hurt? Do you openly admit to her, _and yourself_, that you want more than just a casual fling? Or do you keep this up, sneaking around and going behind your parents backs in the hope that they'll never find out? At the end of the day, only you can make that decision. But it wouldn't hurt to discuss this with Bella; in fact I'd encourage you too. If you're honest with each other, then making that decision would be so much easier."

His expression was fixed with determination as he pondered the many possibilities, his eyes not blinking once. "You're right. I need to talk to her" he exhaled loudly. "Thanks Tanya, this really helped. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you".

She smiled back at him. "Not a problem. We're best friends, giving advice is part of the job" she said, raising her cup with his to clink.

Before she took a gulp though, her brow puckered intriguingly. "You know, there's always option D though".

"Oh yeah, what's that?" he asked curiously.

"_I_ stand in as your secretly obsessed girl friend" she went on melodramatically, "we have rabid dog sex for hours on end and consequently throw them right off the scent" she grinned smartly.

He stifled a snort of amusement. "No way, you'd enjoy that _way_ too much" he smirked. "Besides, I don't do rabid dog" he gave her a knowing look.

"Oh really?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm a cheetah" he added.

"Oh right, yeah, I forgot the hunt was your obsession. Wasn't that how you got Bella in the first place?"

He scoffed, "_Please._ She came willingly" he gladly informed her.

She laughed back; "whatever Romeo," before taking a sip.

……………………………

(3.30pm)

He waited nervously in the truck for Bella, the only sound he could hear was the thumping of his erratic heartbeat; surely that couldn't be healthy. He practically jumped a mile as the passenger side door swung open and Bella hopped inside.

"Hey" grinned Bella, as happy as ever.

"Hi" he swallowed away the lump of nausea that had forced its way up his throat. "Good day at school?"

She shrugged as she pulled the seatbelt across her waist, oblivious to Edwards internal torment. "It was alright. No homework though" she exclaimed. "I mean, aside from revision" she added with a light chuckle.

"Cool" he nodded, unable to express the same enthusiasm as Bella had, he only hoped it couldn't show. "So are we heading to the Library?" he started up the engine.

"Nope, not this time. I got everything I needed yesterday" she smiled. Inside Bella almost burst with excitement, the prospects for this evening had her toes curling, she'd barely thought about anything else all day.

And to mark their reconciliation, she had a special surprise for Edward…

"Home it is then…"

……………………

(4pm)

She laid the lingerie set out on her bed, stripping herself of her casual school clothes and slipping them on. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, pleased with the image of the woman that looked back at her.

She'd bought this lingerie set on a whim a few days prior to Edwards return. She figured she probably wouldn't end up using it, it was made for a special occasion really, and not necessarily one with Edward, but down the track when she was in a proper stable committed relationship, it would surely come in.

That day had come sooner than she'd thought. Ok, so maybe they weren't in a stable committed relationship, and she certainly wasn't about to go in there and give him a strip tease like the book she'd read yesterday had proposed, but she deemed it the perfect memento for their long awaited 'reconciliation'.

It was black with a stunningly intricate laced detail, and had light padding in the sides of the bra cups for that extra oomph. It was a real head turner, and she had her sights set on spinning Edwards this very evening...

…………………

A jittery Edward was sat on the chair beside his bed, he leant forward, elbows on his thighs as he placed his hands to his mouth in a prayer like manner. He'd been glad of the talk with Tanya, it had certainly laid things out a little clearer, but now, alone in the house with Bella in the next room changing, his nerves were starting to get the better of him. He knew that one way or another they would have to talk it out; he just never thought he would be the one to initiate it.

How would he even go about bringing it up, when he rarely spoke of his thoughts and feelings to Bella on an average day? And how would she even respond? The latter was his most concern, particularly because he still wasn't sure how he even wanted her to react. He'd spent the better part of the day contemplating what _he _truly wanted, and still came up virtually inconclusive; constantly changing his mind as he tried to work out what any of it actually meant. And as each tension filled second passed by, the whole 'No Strings' thing was starting to look a little unrealistic.

A tap on the door caused him to spring to his feet, his heart thudding in his chest at the fright. He didn't move an inch though, he didn't have too, as the door opened by itself, and Bella slid inside, closing it behind her.

"Hey" she spoke shyly as she stood before him; she wore a black and white checked shirt, fastened with only two buttons, leaving a little of her cleavage tastefully on show, and a short floaty black skirt finished the look.

"Hey" he offered her a soft smile. She walked forward after a moment as he failed to move, bringing herself up close to his front. Her hands hooked themselves onto his shoulders, while Edwards found their way onto her hips, holding her in place.

"Guess what?" she smiled, daring a look in his eyes. The pink on her cheeks told him she felt nervous. It wasn't usually like this, with Bella taking the lead and Edward just standing back. He usually went out of his way to make her feel at ease, but now, with millions of thoughts rushing through his brain, he could barely think straight.

She went on as he failed to respond. "I'm all better" there was a glint of hopefulness in her eyes, and he smiled back, but there was very little happiness that lingered in that smile.

As she went to kiss him, a flicker of something flashed through his eyes, causing her to pull back. He seemed troubled, she hadn't noticed it up until now, but thinking back, he had been awfully quiet during the car ride home. The look in his eyes now proved something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" and just like that, the happiness in her face faded away. It was as if it had never been there, and an imaginary dagger struck Edwards heart at her sadness.

Inside he wanted nothing more than to be with her, to forget about life's little dramas and just enjoy their time alone. But things had changed, and after his talk with Tanya, he'd been determined to sort things out.

"Edward… what is it?" his mouth opened a jar as he went to speak, the words almost on the tip of his tongue. But no sound came out.

He sighed helplessly; unable to even speak due to the devastation and fear on her face. How could he be the one to take that happiness away from her now? After she'd spent an entire week suffering in her misery. And now, just as she was finally over it, her little face so full of hope and excitement, he was about to come along and tear her down again.

He shook his head, bowing out. "Nothing … it's nothing", he smiled softly, running his hands up and down her arms gently to reassure her.

_Coward!_ The voice in his head called out to him, but he forcefully tried to ignore it.

"Are you sure?" she asked, unconvinced.

"Yeah, absolutely" he perked up, even if inside he was screaming.

He leant down and kissed her, doing his best to deter Bella's thoughts and distract her concerns.

It worked. And within the heat of their kiss, she somehow managed to push him backwards into the chair.

With her hands on his shoulders for support, and Edward's hands gripping her waist, she climbed on top of him, straddling him in the chair. He wasn't done with his mental torment, but having Bella parading in front of him was certainly a distraction.

Sitting herself down she pulled away, a soft smile lingered on her lips as she looked at him with heavy lustful eyes. She timidly removed the remaining buttons of her shirt, revealing her black laced bra. His eyes flashed a look of surprise and almost wonderment, and Edward couldn't help but lick his lips as she presented herself to him.

"_Beautiful"_ he muttered to no one in particular. And Bella's cheeks blazed in her triumph of achievement.

Closing the gap between them she recaptured his lips, his hands moving down to her thighs, where he felt the skin beneath her skirt, before reaching down further to hook her thighs in the palms of his hands.

She ground into him, the thin lacy material of her underwear suddenly feeling like a barrier between them; a cruel restriction, and one she could really do without.

Sensing her level of discomfort as she squirmed on top of him, he fumbled with his jeans, pulling the zip down to release himself before carefully grasping a hold of her pants. He pulled them to one side, trying not to tear them in the process. It wasn't ideal, but it worked for the time being as she shifted herself on top of him and swallowed him whole.

They sighed simultaneously at the friction, and she used her hips for leverage and her hands on his thighs helped her pulsating movements.

They didn't kiss. They just stared into each others eyes as she moved in his lap, relieved after an entire 6 days of their building tension.

After reaching their climax and coming to an eventual stop, she leant back, his hands on her waist kept her in place, but she stretched her spine out, deliriously happy to be united.

"_That was definitely worth the wait_" she murmured in a daze, sounding as if she'd had one too many. True, she was intoxicated, but only by Edward.

He nodded back at her, smiling. Cupping his lips with hers she kissed him. Mid-way he rose to his feet, lifting her limp body with him and then laying her down onto the bed.

He fully removed her pants then, the skirt still hanging at her waist, and he made note to catch her eyes now and then, that delightful smile on her face, her eyes droopy in a way that could only be expected after undergoing such a highly energetic activity.

Casting his jeans to the ground he positioned himself on top of her, pulling the sheets around them, and then placing kisses on the tips of each bra cup…

………………………………

*Meanwhile*

"I can't believe the barbers shop was closed" Moaned Charlie as they strolled up the driveway towards the house. He'd planned on getting a traditional cut for the wedding, but they'd found the salon closed by the time they'd got there.

"Oh well, never mind. We'll go earlier tomorrow" suggested Esme', as she rummaged in her bag for the house keys.

On opening the door they were struck with silence. "Wow. It's dead in here" commented Charlie as he closed the door behind them.

"Aw, I bet they're working" cooed Esme', signalling to the upstairs living space.

"Yeah, it's nice that Edward helps her with her studies. We're lucky you know, that they get along so well" he smiled adoringly, and Esme' nodded back contentedly.

"_Hey!_ How about we sneak up on them when they're not expecting it" Charlie snickered playfully, rubbing his hands together sneakily.

"Oh Charlie, you really are just a big kid at heart aren't you" Esme' chuckled, whacking him on the arm.

"Are you telling me you're not?" he teased her challengingly, as he began creeping up the stairs. She eyed him amusingly from the base of the staircase, before she relented, "Oh go on then", finding the child in her and following him along.

On reaching the brim of the landing, the floor creaked beneath his feet. _"Damit"_ swore Charlie at the uncooperative floorboards, as they threatened to spoil his fun. He felt like an army man as he scouted the area with a beady eye, whispering "all clear" to Esme,' who hung back behind him trying to stifle her laughter, before they proceeded on with their hunt.

A mumbling could be heard from Edward's room as they neared the end of the landing. Edwards door was shut, whilst Bella's bedroom door was left wide open, with her nowhere to be found. Something twisted in Charlie's stomach at that, a feeling inside him almost telling him something was wrong. Charlie's smile began to waver. And a similar feeling in Esme's gut, one, that if she was honest, had been there for awhile, also lingered there sickeningly.

Another few steps and they were right outside the door, with Charlie's hand wrapped around the neck of the doorknob. And a mere second before Esme' could stop him, he'd already turned the handle, and _BAM!_ the door had swung wide open before them, smacking off the wall and causing everyone to jump.

In that moment it suddenly all became clear. The light bulb in his head switched on, and as he stood at Edwards doorway, his mouth now agape, Charlie's worst nightmare stared him straight in the eye...

**BUSTED! :O**

**So how will Charlie react to that? And Esme' for that matter… or did she secretly know all along? … Meanwhile Bella and Edward are forced to deal with the aftermath – what will that mean for them now? **


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey people! =D Thanks so much for your support with this story – I appreciate it no end! Your comments make me SmilE =]**

**Sorry for the wait, has been playing up for me today - hope its not a virus =|! **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy …**

Chapter 11:

"I guess we better make a move then, huh" a reluctant Edward broke the silence, as they both lay on their sides on the bed, gazing into each others eyes.

"Yeah … I guess so" her lips without thinking fell into a disheartened pout, and Edward smiled at how truly adorable she looked. He tapped her lightly on the nose, and she scrunched up her face at him playfully.

With a resounding sigh Edward was the first to sit upright. He raked a hand through his dishevelled hair as he looked down at where she lay. A disinclined Bella then followed him up. It took a huge amount of effort though, she could have quite happily stayed there all evening… all night in fact, if it meant she could snuggle with Edward.

She kneeled on her legs before him, giving him a soft blushing smile, before leaning over to kiss his lips. He curled her hair behind her ear as he eagerly responded, cupping her cheek in his hand, whilst she latched onto his shoulders, her back curving as she bent forwards to touch him.

_BANG! _

The door unexpectedly shot open, smacking off the inner wall, the house almost shaking as it did. It was the abrupt sound that startled them first of all, the unforeseen thump of wood on wall causing them to break their heated kiss, before they registered the faces before them...

So the time had come...

3 months of secret meetings, late night rendezvous and sultry texts, had led to this very moment. And no matter how many times they'd played this over in their heads, the looks on their parent's faces, the disappointment in their eyes; it was never like the real thing.

No amount of imagination could prepare them for what was about to happen…

Time had stopped as the door swung open.

It was like a sudden flash of white light had struck the room, so bright, it had stunned everyone completely. Every sound in the house ceased to be, every movement came to a halt, like water turning to ice. And as their parents stared them down with horrified and disbelieving eyes, they knew that from that moment, nothing would be the same again.

Bella's face quickly fell, the previous rosy flush on her cheeks fading away and leaving a shade of sickly pale/green, whilst her brow puckered into a heartbroken frown of shame. Tears welled up in her eyes as she absorbed the pain and confusion on her fathers face. She'd never been at the receiving end of that expression before, and for every second his eyes bored into her, she felt nauseatingly ill, like she'd just degraded herself as well as the 'Swan' family name.

Shifting herself away from Edward she slowly sat on her legs, pulling the quilt cover further around her.

"_Dad" _the word slipped from Bella's mouth in a breathy whimper, as teardrops spilled from her eyes.

His head shook once, his mouth opening a jar, as if he was about to respond to her, but he couldn't, there was nothing to say, he'd seen too much, and he knew exactly what had gone on here. His vision then landed on Edward, and within the blink of an eye, any sadness or confusion Charlie once displayed was quickly replaced with something else; anger and betrayal. His fists visibly clenched as he stared at his soon-to-be-step-son, the previously hidden veins in his arms now bulging beneath his skin.

Charlie wasn't normally one to engage in confrontation, but then again, it wasn't everyday you caught your daughter in bed with her supposed step-brother.

"Charlie" Edward began cautiously, his tone a word of warning not to start anything. But Charlie's piercing and maddened glare never wavered.

"_How could you!"_ Charlie's voice was a whisper of ferociousness. But Esme's hand on his arm caused him to stop. In the heat of it all he'd almost forgotten she was standing behind him.

"Charlie" she spoke to him gently, easing some of the tension. Glancing back at his fiancé he observed her pleading eyes. He sighed helplessly, hands and arms loosening up a little. She was right, violence wouldn't help here.

With one last look at Bella, his head shaking at her disapprovingly, he walked straight out, running down the stairs, through the door and out towards the car…

Bella's hand cupped her mouth in devastation, her sobs coming out in choky spurts.

"Bella" Edward touched her back in an attempt to soothe her; hoping to offer her some kind of reassurance. Not that he even knew how too himself. But she flinched at the contact, like she'd been subject to a dowsing of scorching hot water, before shifting herself away from him.

"Edward" he heard his mothers stern voice to his side, but his focus remained on Bella, and her reaction to his touch. Edward knew deep down there was no way he could comfort her now, but her reaction, the way Bella had practically cringed under his hands was enough to break his heart and make him cry. Charlie may as well have kicked him in the gut, because that's exactly how he felt now. He could deal with his mother's disappointment, he could even handle Charlie's anger, but no way could he face a rejection from Bella… not now anyway. "I want you downstairs in two minutes," Esme' ordered him. "Edward!" she raised her voice to shake her son from his trance. It worked and he flicked his eyes towards. He gave her a nod of understanding, before his head dipped in dejection.

Satisfied her son had got the message, Esme' left down the stairs, leaving them alone for a final two minutes.

He took another glance back to Bella, but her face was turned away from him, her chin tucked in the quilt covers as the material threatened to get a drowning from her tears.

Shuffling over to the edge of his bed Edward leant down for jeans. He barely had any energy left for putting them on. And not because he'd spent a good hour or so entertaining Bella's needs, but because the fall out and consequence of their revelation had been exhausting.

Sighing hard he forced himself to stand, pulling his jeans on and zipping them up.

He blamed himself for this. If only he'd just spoken to her like he'd meant too, using his head instead of his heart, this probably wouldn't have happened, and the feelings of everyone involved could've been spared.

Who knew what would happen now. He only hoped this wouldnt ruin his mother's chance for a future with Charlie. Only time would tell he supposed.

Glancing back towards Bella he felt an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness. He was supposed to shield her from getting hurt. If not as a partner, then as a friend and family member. But now, as her body shuddered, her back hunching as she brought her legs up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her frame for protection, he knew he'd let her down. This entire debacle had been his idea in the first place. He'd been the one to kiss her, to proposition her, to seduce her day in day out, and now look where they were.

"_I'm sorry"_ he mumbled down to her from where he stood beside the bed. He waited several tedious seconds for her to acknowledge him. And although it took her awhile, she eventually did, and her head rose, turning just enough for him to see her.

No words passed between the two after that. Their gaze just locked, and a resounding sense of sadness and regret consumed the air between them. When Bella finally looked away, recoiling to her previous position, he chose to walk away, grabbing his t-shirt as he went. Doing as he was told, he made his way down the stairs, ready to face the music...

…………………………………

"Were leaving," declared Esme' as Edward took his final step down the stairs. Frozen in time like a statue, he stood rigid at the bottom of the stairs, needing a moment to process it.

"_What?"_ his voice quivered; heightened with emotion.

"I'm going to take you home, you're going to stay there, and I'm going to come back and sort this out with Charlie," she told him directly, before she headed into the living room to grab some things.

He followed her in impatience, "But, mom…"

"Edward, you can't be here now" she turned to him with a sigh. "You have to think of Charlie. And I'm sure Bella would rather talk to her dad alone, than with you here".

He stared at her with eyes of ambivalence, torn between arguing back, caving in and just bursting into tears. He wanted to say something, but was finding it virtually impossible to formulate a sentence in his head; everything was so screwed up.

He exhaled a long soundly breath, knowing she was probably right, whilst he walked inside and took a seat on one of the couches.

Esme' fumbled around mindlessly grabbing her things, but she stopped mid-way, like she'd suddenly been hit with the knowledge of what had happened. She frowned, struggling to come to terms with it. "What happened here Edward?" she turned to him; his mothers eyes failing to show that usual sparkle of pre-wedding excitement he'd gotten so used too. "What were you even thinking?" She was trying desperately to understand.

He shrugged miserably, eyes on his lap in avoidance. "It doesn't matter now".

"Of course it does. She's practically your sister Edward" she declared incredulously.

At that, something inside of him popped; his temperature rising, like a thermometer exploding in heat. There wasn't much more of this brother/sister crap he could take.

"No mom! She's not my sister," he retaliated, raising his voice. "She's the daughter of the man who you just so happen to be marrying. We're not related in any way, you know that. Just because you're marrying her dad doesn't make her anymore related to me" he looked at her with determined eyes. "And you know what! While were at it, how about you stop acting like a total hypocrite," she was knocked for six at that. "We both know you already knew this was happening. You've known ever since you found her clothes in my room that day, so don't go acting like this is a sudden unexpected revelation, because its not, not for you anyway," his accusation boomed at her through the living room walls, and Esme's face flared ready to bite back. But she forced herself to remain in control; she knew these flying accusations of Edwards were merely the consequence of his upset. And truthfully, he wasn't completely wrong; after all, she would be lying if she didn't admit she'd had her suspicions.

"It crossed my mind" she finally confessed. And Edward scoffed, flashing a mock _'I told you so' _smile. "But I never for a second thought you'd be sleeping with her!" she went on, "I mean, what even is this Edward? Are you using her or something?"

"What!" he spat back, disgusted that she could even question him of such a thing, "No, of course not!" he was quick to insist.

"Then what! What is it! Help me understand!" she pleaded with him.

"I … I don't know". How could Edward help his mother understand, when even he was having trouble getting his head around it. "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this" his voice softened in helplessness.

"What did you expect Edward?" her voice mimicked his tender tone, and she shook her head at him hopelessly. Neither wanted to fight over this, in all of their 19 and a half years of being mother and son, they'd barely had a raised word.

He put a hand to his head in distress, as the tears started to brim in his eyes. A moment later and they were swimming like a stream down his cheeks. _"I'm sorry, ok,"_ he cried, knowing he'd let her down, but his sobs were also partly for Bella's broken heart, he'd let her down too.

No matter what he'd done though, and no matter how bad things could get, Edward was still Esme's son, and it didn't take her a moment of hesitation as she wrapped her arms around him hugging him tight.

As she held him in an unyielding embrace, her hand stroking his hair, she thought back to Bella, who was devastated and alone up the stairs, whilst her father was off god knows where. Was it really too much for Charlie to have hung around to talk it out? Clearly it was, but she would be having words with him later on, Esme' thought silently to herself, as she attempted to nurse her sons broken heart back together.

…………………………

"Bella?" a soft voice called to her from where she was curled up on the bed. Thinking it was Charlie she sprung up, alert from her foetal position, eyes wide and hopeful. But at the image of Esme' standing before her, she sighed, her features flattening out. "Oh … I thought you were dad" she weakly confessed.

Esme' offered a small sympathetic smile. "He's not back yet" she admitted cautiously. "I've called him though, and he said he's around, he just, needs some time to himself". Bella nodded back understandingly; the events had been a mouthful to digest, and Bella knew that. "He also said, that you might want to stay at Alice's tonight".

Her face frowned even more. She'd never felt so unbelievably alone. "He doesn't want to see me" she concluded with shaky lips, grief-stricken. The true extent of how much she'd hurt him was starting to hit her.

"It's not that," Esme' walked over to sit beside her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, sensing Bella was on the verge of another breakdown. A girl who just desperately needed her father. "He's just, having a hard time accepting it" she ran a hand over her back, trying to soothe her. "Maybe, if you give him a night to come to terms with it, he'll be better focused by tomorrow. And it wouldn't hurt if you had a break yourself. Come back, refreshed tomorrow morning, and you'll be able to talk things through" her hand ran through the strands of Bella's hair, and Bella's eyes fell heavy at the warmth of Esme's mothering touch; she'd never been at the receiving end of a mothers comfort before… it felt nice. Different to what she was used too.

After a few seconds of contemplation, Bella resolved that it did make sense. A good night's sleep could often work wonders following a dramatic event, and who knows, maybe tomorrow things wouldn't seem _so_ bad? "Ok" she nodded weakly, "I'll grab my things."

"Alright. I'll drop you off at Alice's before we take off."

Bella pulled back. "Take off?" that caught her attention, and her eyes searched to meet Esme's. "You're leaving early?"

A meek smile spread across Esme's face; but it didn't touch her eyes. "I think it's for the best".

Bella nodded back again slowly. There wasn't much to be said after that. Esme' left the room then, and Bella began packing her bag. It took longer than it usually would have. Mostly due to her wracking thoughts and the fact that she kept having to reach for tissues to blow her nose and wipe her teary eyes. But following a change of clothes and her bag on her back, she made her way down the stairs.

"Right, let's get going shall we".

Reaching the foot of the stairs, Bella went on to grab her shoes. But a dark figure to her right caught her eye. It was Edward, who was sat on the couch in the living room, he was leant forward, his arms resting on his thighs, but at the sound of a creak from the staircase his head turned to look at her.

Bella paused on the spot at the sight of him; taking a deep breath. She tried to smile, but it took far too much energy to crack her frozen face. He looked so pale, his eyes noticeably blotchy, and his hair was all disarray.

It was strange to see him so broken. He was usually so confident, with a 'nothing fazes me' attitude to life. But the Edward she looked at now was quite different; he looked small as he sat on the couch, shattered, with his eyes distant and uncertain. It most definitely wasn't the Edward she was used to. And apart of her so desperately wanted him to snap out of it, to be a man and put a brave face on.

But the most she got was a small, barely visible nod. A nod as if to say, _'I'll see you Bella'_, before his head turned away from her, his eyes finding the carpet at his feet.

At that, the tears pooled in her eyes. Her emotions getting the better of her. She was suddenly thinking all sorts of irrational and paranoid thoughts. The worst being, _what if that's the last time I'll ever see him?_

Her heart thumped in her chest in a panic. And she wanted nothing more than to tell him, right then and there, that she was in love with him. Because she was, she'd known it all along, even if she hadn't really wanted to admit it beforehand. But at the thought of declaring her love for him, the words practically on the tip of her tongue, her father's sorrowful face of disappointment flashed into her mind.

It was blinding almost, taking up her entire field of vision. And confronted with that image, and the memory of his pain, she was powerless to do anything. She couldn't talk, and no longer look at him. Even breathing became a struggle.

As if her heart could break anymore, it did, shattering into millions of tiny splinters at the opposing thoughts of Edward being taken from her, and the hurt she'd subjected her own father to.

The next thing she knew, she was being helped into her shoes by Esme', ushered out the door and into the truck, and then into an awaiting Alice's arms...


	13. Chapter 12

**SO sorry for the wait guys! Thanks for all the comments =] and to Mrs Boyscout for informing me of my slight typo in the last chapter xD**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 12:**

"Bella, talk to me" pleaded Alice, as she sat her best friend down on her king-size bed, enveloping her up with her red cashmere throw.

"_I can't,"_ sobbed Bella; her hands clinging onto the soft material that hugged at her frame.

"Of course you can". Alice's fingers moved the strands of fallen hair that covered Bella's moist face.

Bella snivelled as her words came out in a whisper. _"You're going to think so badly of me,"_ she replied, which only made her weep even harder.

Reaching over Alice took a hold of the tissue box on her bedside table, offering one to Bella. "As if I would Bella" sighed Alice; hating to see her best friend of 17 years so broken. But a sensation of dread crackled between them, with the words lingering on the tip of Bella's tongue ready to finally reveal all, whilst Alice waited in patience, concerned about the nature of her friend's upset. It must have been something pretty bad for her to get this worked up, Alice thought silently to herself.

"_I …"_ Bella made an attempt at saying the words, but had to slam her eyes shut in order to continue. _"I've been sleeping with Edward"_ it came out like a breath of words. And Bella's head dipped in waiting for Alice's reaction. Shock? Horror? Disgust?

But it never came.

As Bella's head raised, her eyes opening to meet the gaze of the brunette pixie sitting beside her, she spoke the words Bella had never been expecting to hear.

"I know".

Apparently Bella had been the one in for a shock. And a gasp caught in the back of her throat, as Alice's expression failed to waver. "You know?" she pulled back slightly, wary and confused. "How can you know?" Bella's eyes narrowed inquisitively.

A breath escaped Alice's lips. "I've known for awhile".

"But how?" cried Bella, as she struggled to understand. "We've been so careful… well, at least I thought we had" she looked at the floor as if searching for answers.

"Obviously not careful enough" Alice offered a sympathetic smile in return, once again reaching over to remove the hair that stuck to her friends cheek. "I've always had my suspicions about you two. Edwards always been a charmer Bella, and I know how much he drove you crazy growing up. It seemed almost, inevitable".

Bella turned back to face her friend. "So you just, guessed?"

"No … my mind was made up last week. Saturday night. When Edward turned up at the club un-announced" she reminded her, jogging Bella's memory back to that night. "I'd taken Jessica outside to get a cab, but I realised I only had a 20 left in my purse. So I went back inside to get some change. I wondered where you were in the hope that you might've had some, so I took a look around. And that's when I saw you, you were kissing him".

Realisation hit her hard. "Oh". How could she have possibly forgotten that momentous night! It had been a corner stone in the shifting of their relationship. It all then came screaming back to her. It seemed so foolish now, to think at the time that no one had seen them.

"Yeah, _Oh_" remarked Alice mockingly, but she quickly turned serious, "Look Bella, I'm not going to judge you, or lecture you. I'm not even going to ask you what you were thinking. But I am going to say this … you're lucky Jessica stayed outside, because this would've blown up in your face on a whole other level if she'd have found out" her voice warned her, and Bella's heart thumped in her chest at her lucky escape. Having her father catch her in bed with Edward was certainly one thing, but having a drunken Jessica Stanley, the gossip girl of Forks High see you kissing your 'brother', well, that was something else entirely.

Bella nodded back, understandingly. "And then, there's something else" Alice took a moment, her expression thoughtful. "We're best friends Bella; we have been for 16 years, since we met for the first ever time at 'Baby Day Care,'" Bella nodded once again. "So how could you not confide in me about something so important?"

The look on Alice's face showed she was hurt, and disappointed that she hadn't turned to her until now. Bella's heart sunk at that, just knowing she'd let down (in some form or another) the people that cared for her most of all. "I'm sorry. It was all such a mess, and I didn't even know what any of it meant. I didn't want to have to drag anyone else into it. Especially with exams coming up, we've all got so much to think about".

"Oh please. Don't use our exams as an excuse over this".

"But I just didn't want to worry you" declared Bella desperately.

"Worry me? Bella, I can handle it, seriously. What worries me more is thinking you'd have to go through this, or anything, on your own. I want you to feel like you can talk to me… your life and your concerns are important to me" she took Bella's hands in her own as she spoke. "I also happen to offer some pretty sound advice here and there, advice I'm always willing to share; if only you knew that. I'm always here for you Bella, no matter what".

Bella sobbed through her smile, touched by her friends words, whilst silently wishing she'd just come to Alice sooner. Maybe if she had've done, this mess she was in now could've been avoided. But could-have's and should-have's were useless now. There was no point in decoding the past, or pondering alternative ways that could've prevented the inevitable from occurring. What's done is done. All that mattered now was the future; the future of the family. Which, as of right this second, was very much a question mark…

…

**The following morning**.

The walk into the house felt like a walk towards judgement day. Which it was, in a matter of speaking. The walls beyond that front door had once held back a lot of undisclosed secrets. But even secrets can't remain hidden forever. And last night, Bella's biggest, darkest secret of all had been revealed for all eyes to see.

Sadly it had been her fathers oblivious eyes that'd caught the brunt of it. And what a shock that had been. Still, there was no way of knowing what to expect from the morning after. How was he even handling the news after a good nights sleep? If he'd even slept at all that is!

If yesterdays reaction said anything though, Bella could expect a lot of confusion, upset, disapproval and potentially a few unintelligent words thrown in to go with it.

Unlocking the front door Bella stepped inside. She was immediately brought to the attention of the kitchen, and at the rattling sound of pots and pans.

Prior to entering the kitchen, she took a moment to look around. The space felt cold and empty with Edward and Esme' gone. She'd gotten so used to it being the four of them, and now it was back to just the two of them. Originally, Edward and Esme' had been scheduled to leave tomorrow, but having been faced with the Friday night drama, mother and son had chosen to leave some time earlier. It was for the best though, there was no way Bella could handle seeing her father as well as Edward after the events of the previous night. She was barely holding it together as it was.

Closing her eyes, a conversation she'd had with Alice, earlier this morning ran through her mind.

"_Do you love him?" Asked Alice, as they sat at the breakfast table. Bella couldn't touch her cereal though; her stomach was far too tender, she simply played with it, swishing the chocolaty hoops around the milk in tiny circles._

_She shrugged, "I … I'm not sure …" she stared at the bowls contents, watching as the milk became chocolaty in colour. "I've never been in love before … even with Jacob, it felt more like a friendship. It was all one level you know, there was no passion or hunger there. I cared about him, but …" her trance grew more intense, but her eyes were no longer focused on the cereal, they simply stared at nothing, lured into a daze. "But with Edward, it's so different. He used to drive me around the bend teasing me, and occasionally he still does" a hint of a smile played on her lips. "But then there's days when he feels like he's my best friend, it's so comfortable, so easy. And then, there's other times when just one look from him can make my legs turn to jelly ... He makes me feel like I'm the only girl in the world". _

"_So then, you do love him" Alice summarised with a smile. And Bella's eyes flickered at the sound of another voice, bringing her back to reality. _

_She looked across into Alice's eyes "I tried not too" admitted a glum Bella helplessly, a tear threatening to spill from her eye. "And then I think of Charlie, and how hard this must be for him…" a soundly exhale passed Alice's lips. " I went behind his back Alice, under his roof, every night. No wonder he could barely look at me" she told her._

"_Charlie will get over it … and at the end of the day, I'm sure all he wants is for you to be happy"._

_Bella nodded back; knowing she was probably right. "And then there's Edward… I don't even know how he feels. He rarely spoke of his feelings on an average day. And when I left him last night, he seemed so, broken. Like he'd given up". _

"_Bella" Alice leant forward to touch her friends hand; she'd gone around in circles like this for the past 12 hours, with Alice patiently listening to her rambles. In doing so though, it was only making Bella feel worse. "I think you're over thinking things. I don't think you can know anything until you talk to these people. You should go home and talk to Charlie, and you should definitely talk to Edward. And who knows, maybe you're both on the same page with this". _

"_Yeah … Maybe"…_

Taking a step into the kitchen Bella lingered at the doorway. Charlie hadn't seen her yet, unless he knew she was there, but was trying his hardest to pretend she didn't exist. She hoped it wasn't the latter.

Biting the bullet she called for him. "Dad?" she hesitantly spoke out, as he stood with his back to her at the hob. On hearing his name he turned to face her, and within a split second his face had lit up.

"Bellz!" he practically cheered for her, and her face twitched with a smile of relief. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all! "I made waffles!" he went on, scurrying around the kitchen obliviously. "Take a seat! You're definitely going to want to try these!"

As the seconds passed by though and Charlie's rambles became ever clear, Bella's face began to fall. Something twisted inside of her stomach at his behaviour; purposefully avoiding the obvious. She'd expected to return home to a full on debate or argument. Maybe even a mature adult to adult discussion? But as of yet received nothing. It was as if nothing had even happened, just another normal day in the Swan residence. But it wasn't a normal day, as of last night things had changed. Relationships had shifted, questions had been raised… it just wasn't Charlie that was asking them.

"Dad, don't you want to… talk?" she offered, in the hope that he'd snap out of it. But he rolled his eyes at her mockingly. "There's nothing to talk about. What's done is done. Everything's fine," he smiled, giving her a look that said, 'just leave it'.

"Now come on, sit down and eat, before they get cold!" he told her as he took a seat himself.

With a disbelieving frown on her face, she joined him at the table. It was plain to see what was happening. He was trapped in the realms of denial. She knew all about this, a common psychological defence mechanism that often followed a traumatic event of some kind. In short, it was a coping strategy. She just hadn't expected it to happen to Charlie. She knew he'd find it difficult, facing up to reality was always a challenge, but Bella had hoped he'd have dealt with it better than this.

Clearly a mature conversation with her father was too much to ask for.

"Not half bad huh?" he grinned as he dug into his waffles, Bella meanwhile played with hers, the thick nervous feeling in her stomach leading to a lack of appetite. "I always knew I should've been a chef" Charlie mindlessly uttered to himself, as Bella's eyes of concern continually flicked up to her father.

No, everything was most definitely _not_ fine.

**A/N: I'll hopefully get the next one up a little sooner than the last! Hope you're still with me =] xxx**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey =D Thanks again for your comments, to those that always comment and the ones that have recently joined! Loving you all!**

**Seems some of you expected a major blowout between Charlie and Bella… sorry it didn't happen =P Maybe later on though ;)**

**Sorry but this ones only a small diary entry, so I thought I'd update now rather than build your hopes up later. **

**The next one should be more eventful =]**

Chapter 13:

Dear diary,

Something's wrong. Very wrong. As if things could get any worse.

My dad's in denial.

He's acting like everything's fine, like nothing even happened. It's like he's making out that _I'm_ the crazy one for being so concerned all the time. But if only he'd take a step back, look into the mirror once in awhile, he'd for sure see what I see.

It's been almost 4 weeks since that night, the night that changed everything ... and 4 weeks since I've last seen Edward, or even heard from him, well, bar the time he text me before my first exam, in which he'd wished me luck, but that was it, _'Good luck Bella, hope all is well'_ … strictly business like. I didn't text back, because what would be the point? In fact I felt it best that any form of contact with Edward should be reduced to a minimum; not only did it make my heart ache to even think of him, but Charlie was quite clearly fragile, putting a brave face on thinking it would do some good. It wasn't helping anyone though. And I feared that any day now something inside him would pop, and consequently tip him over the edge, since I presumed he was practically balancing on the rim as it were.

I'm worried about him. Even Esme' was startled over his behaviour upon her return. She'd stayed almost the entire week whilst Edward remained at their home in Philadelphia. Esme' had tried to talk to him, to make Charlie see sense and face up to reality. But apparently to no avail. She'd said he'd simply brushed it aside, muttering something about _'they're only kids' _before saying it was time to move on.

Except Edward and I aren't kids anymore, we're adults now. Maybe when this whole thing started, we were just two immature experimenting individuals, foolish some might say, but we weren't to know how things would progress.

So Esme' had left. She'd tried and failed, telling me to just leave it be, and that one day Charlie would face up to things, we'd just have to wait it out until he was ready.

If only we knew when that day was.

So here I am, diary, 19 days and 6 exams later, writing to you because there's nothing else I can do. I feel powerless around my dad, wanting to shake some sense into him, or slap him so hard, he'd just burst into tears. I'd welcome his tears right now, if it meant we could stop ignoring the truth.

I cant though, like Esme' said, in time he'll deal with it, but for now I'm merely forced to let it run its course…

On a side note, schools finally over, I made it to the end, I can't believe it! And now I look to the future. University lies ahead, and since we're already half way through the summer holidays, it's therefore only a month or so away until it starts. Who'd have thought I'd ever be excited to head back into education!

But while I try to focus on that, and the many open doors that university life will lead to, there's something else I must get through first. And it all boils down to this upcoming week.

The wedding.

The day I've spent the majority of the past year dreading, when my father and his fiancé finally say, "I do."

Don't get me wrong, the idea of Charlie finally getting married, sharing his life with someone and gaining that much needed support which was previously absent (aside from mine of course), evokes feelings within me that are literally indescribable, so much so that I could actually start dancing right here on the spot. And I honestly couldn't have asked for a more wonderful step mother in Esme' Cullen. But as I think of them tying the knot, and being bound to each other for all eternity, I automatically think of Edward. And what that would mean for the both of us. I know its selfish, but I cant help it.

We'd be a family, in every sense of the word. And even though Edward and I havent been intimate together in several weeks, there's still that lingering question mark… Several actually.

I still don't know where I stand with him. I've always known he cares about me, but do those feelings run deeper than simply a friendly bond?

Will _my_ feelings for him have changed by the next time I see him? Could we even be in the same room as each other, knowing what we've done?

I have never given myself to anyone, like I have done to Edward. He knows things about me and my body that I probably didn't even know myself until he'd showed me.

So how could all that history together not be problematic? If there was tension surrounding us before, I could only guess that it would be exacerbated now, given the situation we were in. And even if I_ could_ shunt my feelings for him, could we even function as a happy little family after that?

There were so many questions I didn't have answers too… as of yet anyway.

But I knew that deep down they would be answered soon enough, say, in three days from now, on the day of the wedding. Because for the first time in four weeks, we'd all be together again, and there'd be no escape for any of us… and while I longed to know what would happen, to at long last put my mind at rest, dread also swirled in my stomach at the mere thought of it…

One thing I am happy about though, is the support and love I've gotten from Alice, my best friend. We barely slept a wink that Friday night when I'd stayed at her house, I must have given her ear ache with how much I'd ranted; rambling my fears and concerns to her without even taking a pause for breath. I must have had no off switch that night, and it wasn't until after 3 in the morning when we'd both fallen to sleep through emotional exhaustion.

Since that night I've slept a little easier, knowing I've always got Alice to pour my heart out too. And for the past 3 and a half weeks I've taken full advantage of that. I only hope she feels she could do the same with me someday.

I'm signing out now. And I probably won't be back until after the wedding, when I'll no doubt have a lot more to say. Wish me luck won't you, and thanks for listening.

_Bella xxx_


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! So sorry for the wait =[ It's hard juggling life with two fics these days. Eek! **

**Anyway, I shouldnt complain lol. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy =D**

Chapter 14:

It took them an hour to reach their destination. And just as Bella's eyes started to grow heavy, almost succumbing to the looming darkness that accompanied sleep, she bolt upright in her seat, stunned at the view she saw up ahead.

"Here we are kiddo … beautiful, isn't it" smiled Charlie, who sat across from her in the drivers side of the truck.

Bella's awestruck eyes scanned the pebbled track up ahead, and as the vehicle followed it around it led to a stunning sandstone barn-style country house. It looked so traditional, with a classic English-style theme to it. Odd considering they were only an hour or so away from their home in Forks Washington. Bella had never even known this countryside existed up until now.

A small idyllic chapel sat adjacent to the country house, surrounded by its greenery, and chipping walkways ran from each of the entrances, the two walkways eventually came to a point further down, where a large water feature sat proudly at the heart of the grounds.

Pulling up onto the dirt-track car park, Charlie cut the engine. They stepped outside simultaneously. And the sunshine and heat beating down on their heads only accentuated the surroundings beauty.

"Wow" the word escaped from Bella's mouth, as she perched her shades on top of her head. "You know the pictures in the brochure really didn't do it justice. It's so… magical".

"I know… perfect for a wedding, huh" smiled Charlie, and Bella's eyes if possible grew wider and more astonished.

"Mr Swan!" a warm middle-aged female voice approached them from the left, and they turned to see a lady walking towards them. "Nice to see you again" she threw out her hand to meet Charlie's, who eagerly shook it back.

"Helena, so great to see you again. And please, its Charlie, remember" and she nodded back delightedly. "This is my daughter, Bella … Bellz, this is the lady that owns the grounds".

"Nice to meet you" Bella shook the woman's hand. "Your place is … unbelievable".

"Thank you, it's very kind of you to say that Bella. If you'd like, I could get Jasper to show you around once you're settled in".

"Jasper?"

"Jasper's my son. He's also the porter here, so you'll no doubt run into him along the way". Bella politely nodded back. There was no denying her fathers smile though, as it spread from end to end across his face. "Oh, speak of the devil" she added, as a young male strolled up towards them, he had pale features, with honey blonde hair.

"Jasper. Meet the Swans, you remember Charlie, and this is Bella, his daughter". Jasper gave a friendly wave and a small head nod in acknowledgement. Closer up, Jasper looked a lot younger than Edward, in the face anyway, around 17 or 18, the same age as Bella. There was a sweet boy-ish charm about him, and his eyes radiated innocence. He was certainly raised well, respecting all women as he offered to take Bella's bags for her, saying "May I?" as he did. Bella meanwhile carried her dress on a hanger, swinging it over her arm for easy carriage.

"Well, shall we head inside!" Helena walked on ahead, as Jasper followed obediently in toe.

Lingering back, Bella waited while her dad locked the truck. "So … that's Jasper ey" Charlie gave her a nudge as his eyebrows rose amusingly, and Bella forced a smile back just to please him. On the inside however, her stomach turned and twisted, quickly sensing she was two seconds away from an arranged marriage. Just great, this was all she needed.

…

"So when do we suppose the bride will get here? You know you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding" Helena's eyes widened knowingly as she looked at Charlie. They were stood in the reception area, checking in. They were only staying the one night, with Charlie and Esme' sleeping in the newly-wed honeymoon suite, which was a section situated at the far end of the grounds, detached from the surrounding buildings. While Edward and Bella had separate rooms located on the top floor of the barn house.

"Oh I don't plan on breaking any rules today, don't you worry" smirked Charlie as he signed himself in. He glanced a look at his watch then. "Actually, they're due in anytime now, maybe about 30 minutes, give or take a few".

Nerves sparked to life in Bella's stomach at her fathers words. 30 minutes! 30 minutes until she'd see Edward again! The butterflies in her stomach told her she still harboured those exact same passionate feelings for him that she'd always had. Unlucky for her she wasn't even close to escaping them.

"Excellent! Well why don't we get you two settled in. I imagine you'll want to start getting ready soon enough" Helena grabbed two sets of keys out of the cabinet on the wall, handing one to Charlie whose face beamed with a broad smile of excitement, and the other to Bella, who accepted it, a little more reserved though.

A feeling of ambivalence stirred up inside of her; torn between feeling ecstatic for her father, but nervous for when she'd see Edward again. "Charlie you're this way" Helena signalled to the small building that sat across the courtyard and through the floral covered archway, "Bella, your room's up the stairs, Jasper will show you the way".

"Great" Bella managed a smile, before turning to address her father. "I guess I'll, see you later then" she shrugged sheepishly.

"You bet Bellz! And don't forget to pop in before the wedding. I'll need someone to fix my tie for me" he touched her chin as he smiled. "You look after my daughter, alright" he teased as Jasper grasped Bella's overnight bag, leading her away up the grand staircase.

"Don't worry Mr Swan, your daughter is safe in my hands" smiled Jasper warmly as he called to Bella to follow along.

Walking up the staircase and along the expanse of the landing, she couldn't quite believe she was here. It had been _way_ back during Easter Vacation, just over 4 months ago when Charlie and Esme' had announced their engagement, and now here they were, the beginning of August and they were on the verge of making it official.

How time flies!

"So you're from Forks, right?" her thoughts then became replaced by unwanted small talk. Jasper seemed nice enough, but Bella was hardly in the mood for this, especially if it meant he was secretly fishing for a date.

"Yeah," she answered pleasantly.

"Cool. I've never been there".

"Well, it's a pretty small town".

"Are you still in school?" he asked, and she very nearly went to say yes. It would take her awhile to get used to that, knowing she'd never have to go back to Forks High School ever again, that she'd never have homework set by those specific teachers, eat lunch in that stale-smelling dining hall or have to walk into class late and be subjected to a scolding of disapproving eyes. There was a whole other world out there she was soon to step into, and right now, she couldn't wait. It was actually the only thing keeping her mind occupied from everything else in her life. "No, actually I finished school a week and a half ago".

"That's cool" he said again. "So are you going to uni in September then?"

"Yeah, and I can't wait… what about you? School or uni?"

"Uni hopefully, in September too. If my mom will let me go of course" he added, looking back at her in a long sideways glance. And Bella offered an awkward sympathetic smile in response, not really knowing what to say to that. Thankfully though, she didn't have to say anything, because they soon arrived at their destination.

"Here we are" Jasper came to a halt in front of one of the large white wooden doors. Fumbling with the key in the lock he unlocked it, turning the handle and opening the door.

"When your brother gets here, he'll be in the room opposite. So, you shouldn't be too alone up here" he smirked. But Bella had no energy to smile back at that one. He'd used the 'brother' term so loosely… oh if only he knew! Instead she simply chose to ignore, walking around the space with inquisitive eyes.

"If there's anything else you need…"

"No" she spun on her heel, "I'll be fine" she said, and looking into his smiling eyes she suddenly felt bad, hoping she hadn't come across too hard-faced or rude. He truthfully did seem like a really nice person, and maybe if she wasn't so confused over her romantic life, she'd consider giving him a shot. "Thanks" she hoped she sounded genuine. If not she would apologise later… once she was feeling a little more settled.

"No problem. Enjoy your stay" he went for the door, giving her one last smile before closing her in.

Although she was glad of the peace and quiet, being alone was never a good sign, not for Bella anyway. It led to all kinds of thoughts and feelings, and consequently it threw her into even more worry and concern… as if she needed anymore of that.

Placing her dress down onto the bed she unzipped the protective plastic sheath that surrounded it, before hooking it onto one of the wardrobe hangers, ready for later.

It was only 3 hours now until the wedding. It seemed like nothing at all, but in the same respect, it also felt like an eternity. What would she do for an entire 3 hours, by herself, in what felt like a far away land?

Her stomach rumbled, in dire need of some food. But breakfast had been somewhat of a challenge this morning. She'd tried to eat something, but having thought about Edward from literally the second she'd awoke, she could barely stomach much more than a couple of bites, before an unpleasant taste crept up to her throat and threatened to choke her.

Her phone then shook on a continuous vibration, and checking the caller ID she smiled through relief before answering it. Perfect timing Alice! Alice would for sure take her mind off things.

"Hey! … Are you here yet?"

…

"I can't believe this place. Your dad has wicked taste! Kinda wish I was staying over now" Alice mused as she gazed out of the window in 'Bella's room', the sights from the upstairs were exquisite, there was a private airport half a mile or so away, surrounded by fields, and on a clear day like this you could see the small aeroplanes and helicopters that were sat on the hanger. And if you were _really_ lucky, you'd see a couple take off. Alice admired the serenity from the window, with the suns rays, the water feature, the greenery and the flower beds, it felt like the perfect summers day.

At the lack of response though and unusual bout of silence, Alice frowned, turning her back on the view, and facing her friend who lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling like it held the answers to all of life's great mysteries. "Bella?" Alice's head tilted to meet Bella's entranced eyes.

"Bella? Are you ok?"

"Huh? … oh, yeah, sorry" she rose upwards into a seated position. Scrunching her head as the fast movement resulted in an unpleasent headrush. "I'm fine".

Alice nodded back warily, knowing for a fact that wasnt true. In fact, she was pretty certain she could guess exactly what Bella was thinking about, or, who to be precise. "Big day, huh".

"Yeah … Charlie's beside himself with excitement".

"I meant, for you… it's a big day for you" Alice corrected her.

The look in Alice's eye told Bella she was referring to Edward, and while she tried to play it down, not wanting to make a fuss, she knew Alice would no doubt see straight through her. "No" Bella shook her head, "Alice, it's honestly not that…"

"Bella" Alice interrupted, taking a seat on the bed beside her. "Come on. It's _me_".

Bella sighed back, her entire body and posture slumping with it. She managed a weak smile Alice's way. "I just don't know what to expect Alice… how I'll even feel when I see him again … and then there's Charlie. How will he even react when he sees Edward again? … I just, I hate not knowing… I hate waiting" the desperation in her eyes was crushing.

Barely two seconds had passed when a distant sound of tyres crunching against the dirt track caught Alice's attention. Rising from her seat she went back over to the window.

She took a look at the car park below, releasing a soft exhale as she did. "Well, it's your lucky day then. Because it doesn't look like you'll have to wait much longer" Alice spoke as she stared at the ground outside. And with a frown of intrigue, it led Bella towards the windowpane.

Reaching Alice's side she peered down, to the car that now pulled up. A moment later and the door swung open, and Bella's bodily reaction was all she needed to tell her exactly who it was.

"_Edward"._

…

**(An hour and a half later)**

"Dad?" his daughter called out to him as she knocked on the door to his private dress room. The Bride and Groom had been sent to separate dress rooms as they prepared for the ceremony, which was now a mere hour away. It was keeping up with the tradition that the Groom shouldn't see the Bride until the wedding.

"Hey Bellz!" Charlie peered around the door having opened it. "Come in" he smiled, opening it a little wider to welcome her into his male-boudoir; his tie was hung loosely around his neck, the silk now creased in places, his top button was open and his collar was up at all angles; he appeared to be having a little trouble. But his grin grew wide as he acknowledged her appearance. "Wow" he breathed. And _he _may have been shocked at her sudden transformation, but she too could hardly recognise her dad in that suit, having never seen him wearing something quite so fetching before. "Don't you just look beautiful" he spoke with pride, as he admired her soft peach floor length dress, her shoulders covered by a delicate lace shawl as her hair framed her face in long wavy curls. She blushed under his compliment, "Thanks dad. But Alice did most of the work" she placed the responsibility elsewhere, as she often did with things like this.

"Nonsense. It's all you Bellz" he told her, and her head recoiled through her sheepishness.

"As for me, I think I'm bringing the side down" his eyebrow twitched as he took note of the creases in his tie; a consequence of several failed attempts at tying it. "Actually, I'm just about ready to strangle myself" he grunted with a teasing smile. And she smirked back, amused. "Is the tie not co-operating?"

"Sadly not, it insists on giving me hell" he answered. And she shook her head at him hopelessly, before stepping forward and swatting his hands away. Neatening his collar up and straightening his shirt, she wrapped the tie, transforming it into a fancy and presentable knot.

"See, easy as that" exclaimed Bella, as he turned to face the mirror, nodding back in agreement.

After putting on his suit jacket with care, they both stood side by side at the floor length mirror.

"Who'd of thought it, ey Bellz" she looked into his eyes in question. "I always assumed it'd be the other way around. And I'd be standing here waiting for you to get married ... I thought this was just a pipe dream" he spoke distantly, but thoughtfully.

She smiled back softly; knowing how much marrying Esme' truly meant to him after being alone for so long. "I'm really happy for you dad".

"I know you are Bellz" he sighed. "And I can't thank you enough for being so gracious about this".

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know… but, for so long, it's been just the two of us. This is a big step, for all of us. I'm just glad it's working out".

Again she smiled back, but considerably weaker this time. Was everything seriously working out for them? Given all that had happened over this past month? She eyed her father in the mirror cautiously, knowing this denial trip of his wouldn't last forever. Particularly once he laid eyes on Edward again. Neither of them had even seen Edward since that Friday night some 4 weeks ago, and there were still a lot of things that had gone unsaid.

She just prayed this ignorant façade of Charlie's would survive through today, nothing could ruin her dads long awaited Wedding Ceremony. Bella resolved that she owed him this day, at least.

"Well" exclaimed Bella, "what do you say… ready to get married?" she grinned; putting her thoughts briefly on hold for the sake of her fathers happiness. And he nodded back, turning to properly face her. "Absolutely. Let's do this".

…

It was literally minutes before the wedding, and everyone had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the car park was now heaving and their friends and family had been ushered into the chapel one by one.

As the time ticked on, and the nerves continued to build, the priest made his appearance, welcoming Charlie and Bella who both shook his hand, before he announced it was time to take position. The bride was soon to make her grand entrance.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you in there then" Bella gave her dad one final hug, holding her small bouquet of flowers in her one hand as she did, before she watched him almost skip away, ridiculously and deliriously happy. Charlie entered the main Chapel area, and the large solid oak door boomed shut behind him, leaving Bella standing at the entrance all alone.

Lingering at the reception she waited for the best man to make his arrival, who would take her arm and walk her down the aisle in toe of the bride, Esme', who had her 70 year old father to give her away.

From the sound of hustle and bustle at the entrance, it was clear the moment had come, and Bella turned on her heel to face it. The door to the chapel swung open then, and a flash of bright orange light from the suns rays, abruptly warmed up the previously dim reception area.

It then didn't matter that the sun was toasty and warm; goosebumps still bubbled across Bella's arms as the sight of his tall, lean form came into view. Her cheeks on the other hand radiated like an inferno... Only Edward could induce such a bizarre bodily reaction in Bella.

4 weeks from that day, with no sight or word from him, and yet he still had the power to spin her head and drive her crazy, and he hadn't even noticed her yet.

Edward's face beamed with a goofy grin as he spoke to his mother, something about 'not tripping up half way down the aisle', which caused Esme' to laugh in return. His smile then softened though, to a more meaningful and serious expression, as he finally locked eyes with Bella.

An overwhelming feeling of emotion burst inside of Bella as their vision at long last connected. It was like experiencing tunnel vision, and for a moment in time, there was no one else on earth but them. If this had been a movie, Edward would've been the prince, gallantly riding up to her on his horse to save her from all of life's peril, but, truthfully, they'd become more like star-crossed lovers, passionately connected but inevitably doomed from the word go. It felt very much like that for Bella anyway, and she wondered silently if Edward thought the same.

Walking closer to her, with his mom on his arm, his head bobbed once with a nod. "Bella" he spoke her name, and his voice couldn't have sounded any softer, like a feather gliding over her skin. She almost shuddered at the sensuality in his tone. And she knew there was no point in even attempting to respond to that, as her throat would undoubtedly close up, and subsequently increasing the possibility of her embarrassing herself by choking in front of him. Instead she took the safe option, and awkwardly smiled back, before turning her attention onto the bride, who was quick to wrap her arms around Bella, telling her she made the most beautiful bridesmaid of all.

Everything seemed to happen all at once then. The organ abruptly fired up, the doors swung open, the train on Esme's dress fanned out. And without a second to ponder what was about to happen next, Edward had taken Bella's arm and began leading her down the aisle…


	16. Chapter 15

**Hey =] Nice to see you're all still with me, even though I make you wait ages between updates :( Sorry people! I'm quitting work soon though =P**

**Hope you enjoy! And sorry if there's any mistakes, I'm too tired to re-read it for a fourth time lol**

Chapter 15:

It was perfect; she was walking down the aisle in a stunning floor length gown, with the man of her dreams hanging off her arm; she was smiling as she passed by her family and friends, all whom had gathered at once to witness the pinnacle moment of her very existence.

Bella couldn't have asked for much more than this. To have everyone all together to celebrate her happy day with her. But as they reached the end of the aisle and the organ soon cut out, it all came flooding back to her.

This wasn't the happiest day of her life; it wasn't _her _wedding day as the delusion had led her to believe. And while she may have walked down the aisle with potentially the love of her life, he wasn't exactly_ hers_ to have. He'd never been hers.

Stepping to the side she rooted on the spot; reality hit her hard. And a brief dizzy spell washed over her as she tried to maintain her balance, and as she looked out at the many faces up ahead, all of those eyes staring at her with careful scrutiny, she felt her legs turn hot and heavy.

For the entirety of the wedding ceremony, whether it was minutes or hours, Bella was completely dazed out, focusing less on the service at hand, and more so on not-passing-out, as everything, sounds and images, almost blended into one.

It wasn't until Edward lightly nudged her on the arm sometime later, that she forcefully blinked herself back into awareness. She turned her head to glance at him, and Edward's face frowned at her in concern, his mouth twitching as if he was about to ask her something.

But he didn't. Instead, like before, he took her arm, and they followed their parents back down the aisle to an eruption of claps and cheers...

It was a gift from god for Bella, to finally step outside and have the fresh warm air glide over her hot and sweaty face. Because if she'd have stayed inside any longer, it was looking extremely likely that her legs would have given out from underneath her, and she'd have done a face-splat right on the Chapels wooden flooring. It wouldn't have been pleasent to say the least.

Now as she reached outside, she placed her hand against the walls entrance to the chapel, propping herself up to gather her composure. She ensured she kept relatively out of sight from her parents, not wanting to alarm them of her dreary state. But she was certain they were far too wrapped up in themselves, the intense sun and the photography, to even notice her anyway.

"Are you ok?" a voice asked her, and she jumped a little out of her skin. Maybe hiding from her parents was a given, but clearly there was no chance of hiding from _him._

Taking a wary look to her left she tried to smile, "yeah, of course, I'm fine".

"Well, you don't look fine. Back in there especially, your face turned grey almost," his own face scrunched up in distress.

"It was just warm in there, that's all" she swivelled awkwardly on the spot, using her arm to hold most of her weight, before she perched her backside onto the wall, sighing as she relaxed her shaky legs.

A second later her name was being called. "Bellz? Picture time!" her father grinned at her from a distance, waving her over from where he stood with his wife in the garden, and Bella leaned over to acknowledge him, plastering a smile onto her face and telling him she'd be right there.

Rising to her feet, and swaying a little in the process she attempted to walk towards them. "Wait" But Edward was quick to grab her arm, pulling her back to him, and she almost lost her footing as she tripped, "If something's wrong, if you're not well…"

"I'm fine!" She butt in with decree, raising her voice for added impact, and a look of shock at her outburst followed by mistrust, suggested he didn't believe her. She softened to reiterate, "I said I'm fine" she spoke once again; looking into his eyes as she did, his face was so close and his smell so unbelievably sweet, she hadn't been this close to him in so long. But she forced herself to turn away from him, shrugging herself out of his grasp and over towards their parents.

As he watched Bella walk away, Alice appeared silently at his side. "Something's wrong, isn't it?" he spoke to her, never turning his head as he stared at the performance Bella was putting on for their parents.

"Of course something's wrong" the tone of Alice's response then told him that she knew. He'd kind of figured Bella would end up telling Alice everything anyway, and he honestly didn't mind. He preferred it in fact, knowing how vital a best friend's shoulder was in times of crisis. Tanya had been his for several months now, it was only right Bella had a shoulder to cry on too.

"Do you have any idea what it's been like for her, since you've been gone?" she questioned him, not usually one to encourage confrontation, but Bella was her best friend, and anything she said was only out of concern.

"It wasn't a choice Alice" he lightly argued back, keeping his voice to a minimum; not wanting to raise any eyebrows.

"Maybe not. But I don't think you realise how hard this has been for her. It's bound to take its toll".

"I know that. Don't you think I wanted to do something, if I could make it better, I would" he finally turned to her.

"Then do it" she implored, as her eyebrows rose. Before he could respond though, his mother's voice called him over. And playing the dutiful son, he too plastered a fake smile on, before walking over to join in with his presently-contrived happy little family.

…

There was no better feeling than sitting in an air conditioned room, on a comfy chair at the dining room table, especially for Bella anyway, who up until this moment had been feeling as if she had the body of an 80 year old woman... a very unhealthy one at that.

Having sat through various speeches, several from both Charlie and Esme's work colleagues, it was time to eat.

The food smelt delicious, and while Bella aimed to pace herself, her stomach still tender from a lack of food, it wasn't long before she delve right in, gobbling up the contents on her plate with barely a pause between mouthfuls. Half way through her main meal she was already feeling better. It seemed her dizzy spell from earlier was mostly due to her empty stomach, well, that and the affects of her long awaited reunion with Edward. She had never been faced with so many different emotions all at the same time before. All that pent up passion for him, pre-reunion jitters and the fact that she'd gone without breakfast - her body was simply fighting for control.

"Will you pass the salt please?" Charlie asked midway through the meal, to no one in particular, which inevitably caused both Bella and Edward to simultaneously go for the salt shaker at once.

As they did, their hands touched, 'electricity' fired, and Bella noticeably flinched at the sudden contact of his soft hand cupping her own. She pulled away, startled, as if she'd touched a hot iron, not before she'd taken a good look at Edwards hand though.

Having been so pre-occupied with his beautiful face, it wasn't until now that she noticed the state of his hand; gashed across the expanse of his knuckles like a lightening bolt. On sensing Bella's surprise, Edward quickly retracted, switching hands and passing the salt to Charlie with his good hand; he then proceeded to hide his other one behind the table.

Charlie accepted Edwards offering, saying a brief "Thanks" but choosing to look away as he did. Too focused on eating his meal, rather than the peculiar goings on across the table.

Bella meanwhile frowned at the image of Edwards cut hand in her mind, desperately wanting to ask what had happened, but Alice who was sat to her left awkwardly spoke up, "This chickens great", offering a distraction, and Bella knew this was not the time or the place, though it still pained her to be so in the dark.

Instead Bella offered a sheepish smile back to Alice, to which Alice's lips twitched with a curve of sympathy, before Bella chose to take a leaf out of Charlie's book, and busied herself with focusing on the food on her plate.

Not even that could prevent Bella from glancing back at Edward though, and as she did, to her pleasant surprise, she found him looking straight back at her. He held her gaze for a brief moment, and she attempted a small smile of support, but he didn't respond, he merely ducked his head, and shamefully stared at his hands.

It was strange to see Edward so withdrawn, and it reminded Bella of that late Friday evening, when she'd walked down the stairs to find him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

Desperately trying to shake the thought to protect her aching heart, she fiddled with her Veg, entertaining herself by counting peas.

…

"How about a dance with your old man then?" Charlie stood before Bella as she sat at the side with Alice, on-looking the dance floor. "Sorry Al, you don't mind if I steal her away for five minutes do you?" he turned to Alice, and she smiled back shaking her head, "go for it, she's all yours" And Bella stood up with a broad smile, as she followed her father onto the dance floor.

Taking his one hand in her own, and placing her other on his arm, they swayed to the music.

"Great day" she mused, and Charlie was quick to agree. "Out of this world Bellz, I can't remember a time when I was ever this happy. I mean, aside from when you were born of course" he smiled at her.

"Glad to hear it" she teased lightly. "Esme's a wonderful woman".

"That she is. I've no doubt she's my soul mate. You know when two people just work so well together, they just fit, you know, like puzzle pieces".

She nodded back distantly, lost in a train of thought. She'd once felt that way about Edward. Maybe not to the extent of being soul mates, but there'd been no denying how well they worked together, with Edward feeling very much like the other half to Bella's puzzle piece.

"Now we've just got to find you one" his tone changed from dreamy to smirky but sincere, and like a smack in the face she was thrown from her wandering thoughts and back to reality.

"_Dad"_ she whined, trying to smile as she brushed him off, hoping he'd let it go.

"Come on Bellz, I've had my turn, now it's time for yours" he persisted on. "How about that Jasper? I know I joked about it earlier, but he seems like a decent enough kid".

She almost snapped at that, yelling at him "I'm 18 years old dad! I'm not interested in kids!" but her inner strength powered on, managing to control her fury, she couldn't go causing a scene, not today of all days.

Instead she just said, "I don't know" before shrugging her shoulders.

"Why not? You know, there's not a lot of guys out there that are brought up with that kind of level of respect" he went on. "See, even Alice likes him".

At that, Bella turned her head to see Jasper now sat beside Alice; they were both smiling and gleefully chatting away. And you'd have to be an idiot not to see the sparks fly between them. Or just plain ignorant, as Charlie had a tendency to be with things like this.

Pushing her agitation over her father to one side, Bella let a smile twist her lips, happy to see Alice finally getting some decent male attention for once. Similarly to Bella, Alice had only ever had one boy friend, and he'd turned out to be a complete waste of space, Jasper on the other hand, was very much to Bella's liking. In fact she could see them now, holding hands, walking to class together; they were the perfect picture of cuteness...

Charlie meanwhile watched his daughter closely, her eyes grew hazy and her forehead crumpled, clearly he'd lost her somewhere, deep in thought. "Well, whatever you decide Bella, whoever you choose…" her eyes flicked back towards him as he spoke, and she once again came back to reality, "I'm sure I'll learn to live with it" he said as he looked her in the eye, and she faltered under his stare, slightly caught off guard by his comment. But he said no more, simply kissing her lightly on the cheek.

What an odd thing to say, she thought to herself as she watched him walk away. Her fathers tone and the look in his eyes suggested there was more to that comment than it seemed, a hidden meaning behind the message perhaps? Was he suddenly coming around to the idea of her being with Edward?

Maybe? Maybe not?

It could've quite easily meant nothing, just a random comment shared amongst father and daughter. Surely enough, any father would struggle to accept someone taking the hand of their daughter. No man could ever live up to a fathers standards… and although there was a greater chance it was just a random comment, she clung onto the idea that in some way, despite that ignorant façade of his, Charlie was slowly but surely coming to terms with it.

…

Bella absentmindedly swished a hand in the cool water, as she perched herself on the edge of the brickwork. It was late now, hitting the 10pm mark, and Alice had recently left. A few others had too, but the party was still very much in full swing. 80s music blared from the open doors, and it was only sat out here, at the front end of the country house that Bella could actually hear herself think.

Bella was sat outside on the edge of the water feature, the one she'd laid eyes on upon her arrival. And now, on taking a closer look, she realised it wasn't just any random water feature, it was a wishing well.

Well, not in the traditional sense, there was no bucket or lever mechanism, and on the most part it was merely a circular base with a water pump at its centre. But what made it special was the fact that it was filled with shiny copper coins, that glistened up at her in the nights sky.

There must have been at least 50 or so wishes in this well, Bella thought silently to herself as she admired them from above. She wondered if any of them had actually come true. And on noticing a random coin which lay on the ground beside her feet, she picked it up with curious eyes.

Cupping the coin in the palm of her hand, she thought of only one thing. She'd never been big on superstition, nor old European Folklore beliefs; wishes rarely came true… life just wasn't that fair, right? But anything, even something as farfetched and mythological as a wishing well, was worth a shot right now.

So as she closed her eyes and thought of the only thing she'd ever truly wanted, she tossed the coin into the centre of the water. It made a plopping sound before it fell to the bottom, twinkling up at her as if it was winking.

She smiled back at it, but it didn't touch her eyes. And as she heard the distant sound of laughing girls, her head turning to face it, she exhaled a helpless sigh.

Teardrops stung her eyes as she watched them.

Far up ahead on the car park stood Edward and his friends. Two girls; one was Tanya, and another girl whom Bella didn't recognise. There was also a guy there, again no one she'd ever met, that stood beside them. Edward was waving them off, as the three of them were all-but ready to clamber into the taxi and call it a night.

Before they did though, Edward embraced each one of them. It was hard to see from where Bella sat, it was dark and her blurry tear-brimmed eyes distorted her vision, but there was no mistaking the kiss that Edward gave to each girl.

Each one was no doubt on the cheek; and for them, it was merely a friendly casual gesture. But for Bella that didn't matter. It was still an intimate one, one she hadn't had for weeks, and one she was unlikely to ever get again from Edward.

As each girl sprawled all over him, giving him a hug goodbye, Bella rose from her seat, the display of affection becoming too much to bear.

Turning on her heel she headed in the opposite direction, dragging her crushed heart along the floor as she went…

**Preview – The nights far from over yet! And someone finally has a talk with Bella – but who's the other person? Charlie or Edward? And after so long, is it really what she wants to hear?**


	17. Chapter 16

**Hey guys =] Sorry for the wait. I really hate making you wait so long, I always get impatient with the slow updates of the fics I read, but I hope this chapter will make up for it. **

**Thanks for the reviews and please let me know what you think :)**

Chapter 16:

(10.30pm)

Having hung her dress up onto a hanger and placed it in the wardrobe, she climbed into her pyjamas. She later removed her earrings one by one, setting them down on the bed-side table beside the domed lamp, which currently lit up the room with a soft but sultry glow.

All ready to turn in for the night she went to dive into bed, but a scratching sound outside her room caught her attention. It was soon followed by a rattling noise, as if someone was applying pressure to one of the heavy wooden bedroom doors. It wasn't Bella's room they were trying to force their way into though, thankfully. It was a room across the way, and although she was quite aware that it could very well have been a madman trying to brake in, she couldn't prevent her interest, as it niggled at the back of her mind.

Making her way over to the door she slowly opened it.

She poked her head around the gap, observing a male figure standing at the door opposite with his back to her, his hand was wound around the doorknob as he tried to open it, but to no avail. He turned around a second later, sensing someone was behind him.

Bella's mouth went to open as Edward turned around to face her; she should've guessed it was him. In fact subconsciously, she probably knew it was him all along, hence the reason she took a chance and opened the door in the first place.

He looked surprised at first as he saw Bella standing there before him, and after inspecting her nightly ensemble, his mouth began to twitch, curving into a small but visible smile.

"You wouldn't believe it would you" he began, and she remained tight-lipped, her face expressionless. "I can't even find my key" he turned to face the door, "I thought maybe I'd get lucky and it'd just open by itself" he swivelled the handle once again before turning back to face her. "But apparently not" his eyebrows raised as he looked at her.

"Doesn't help that there's no lights down here" his eyes noted the lamps that were attached to the sides of the walls, but were switched off for some reason. The only offered light was from outside the window up ahead, from the lamps that lit up the car park and surrounding gardens.

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's only us up here anyway" Bella responded somewhat passively. "They probably didn't think it was necessary. Save the planet and all that".

He nodded back slowly, his face now mirroring her own as he watched her intently. She was on the defensive, using that 'I can't be bothered attitude' on him, but Edward had a fair idea it was simply a front.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked after a moment. "The light's a little better in here. You might be able to find your key".

"Right … Yeah, thanks" he stuttered a little as he stepped inside, "…You know I was sure I put it in my pocket" he rummaged through his clothes as he followed her in. "Knowing my luck it's probably fallen out somewhere down the hallway" he rolled his eyes, but her meek expression failed to waver.

"How'd you even know I was out there anyway?" he questioned after she'd closed the door behind him.

"Well it wasn't like you were subtle about it. I heard someone banging on the door. It sounded like you were trying to break it down or something" her tone was accusing and her eyebrows twitched with disapproval.

He smirked a little under his breath. "Yeah well, no chance of that happening, have you seen the doors? They're solid blocks of wood. Not even a bulldozer could break that down" he lightly joked, but as her face failed to crack he frowned, turning serious.

"Are you feeling better now?" Edward changed the subject, looking deeply into her eyes.

"I'm fine" she threw her head to one-side.

"Well you didn't look fine earlier. In fact you looked like you were on the verge of passing out".

"I said I'm fine" Bella snapped at him impatiently. And he exhaled an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his already-tousled-hair as he shook his head. He hated it when they argued, particularly over such small irrelevant things.

But as her expression finally changed, her face flashing a look of horror and then sadness, Edward realised what he'd done.

As he'd raked a hand through his hair without thinking, she'd noticed his war wound, his knuckles on the one hand were slightly off-colour, blue almost, and a faint gash split down his middle finger and across the expanse of his knuckles.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

He glanced away, annoyed at his carelessness. "I was having a round with my punch bag, I missed and hit the wall" he told her, but she wasn't entirely sure whether or not she believed him, even so, she nodded back anyway.

"It hurts" she stated as she stared at it, before looking up to his face.

"Its fine" he assured her.

"You're lying".

He shrugged back. "Yeah well, so are you" he answered smartly.

Bella paused for a moment thoughtfully, after a moment or two a small smile crept onto her face, amused by the fact that he would go with the 'well two can play at this game' approach. And truthfully, he was right, she had lied, she wasn't fine at all.

Turning her back to him she walked away, heading towards the mini bar in her room, where she grabbed a glass and filled it with water.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you, Bella …" he spoke out helplessly. "I blame myself, if that means anything" he added, while she busied herself with getting a drink. It was the first time they'd spoken of their affair since the night they'd been caught.

"It doesn't… because it's not your fault. Well, it's not_ all_ your fault".

"Yeah, but it was still my idea" he added, and she grasped the cup with her fingers, suddenly noticing how shaky her hand was. "If I'd have known…" his voice trailed off.

Bella frowned as she turned back to him. "If you'd have known? … What?" she questioned him, feeling her emotions starting to re-surface. She feared he was about to say, 'if I'd have known what would happen, then I wouldn't have even bothered in the first place'… Did that mean he really didn't have feelings for her then? That from the start it had been about nothing more than sex, and now, months later, sex was still all it had ever been about?

Without thinking and wound up in her state of confusion, she accidently let the cup slip through her fingers, falling to the floor with a smash. It crumbled in the water into millions of tiny pieces at her feet.

Bella flinched, startled at the sudden abrasive sound, and winced as the prickly broken pieces flicked onto her bare feet, the water producing a spray around where she stood.

"_Damit"_ she swore under her breath, quickly bending down to pick up the shattered glass.

"Bella, don't! Just leave it!" Edward called to her as he made his way towards her.

"It's fine" she snivelled, her nose starting to run as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Don't! You're going to cut yourself!" he stood over her, but as she failed to stop messing he crouched in front of her, catching her on the wrist and forcing her to stop. "Just do as you're told will you!" he ordered, raising his voice. And her face fell at his tone. It was then that he noticed her glistening eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just… don't want you to hurt yourself" he spoke to her calmly. And after a moment he helped her up, assisting her as she stepped away from the glass and to one side.

He watched as a tear made a trace down the side of her cheek. It was torturous for Edward to be a witness to Bella's upset, and knowing there was probably very little he could do about it, only added to his own heartbreak, but he tried to make light of a bad situation. "I know you're jealous of my badass war wound, but you don't need to go competing with me", he gently tried to tease her, as he still held onto her wrists. She smiled sadly as she looked down at his hands, examining the cut through her blurry eyes.

Releasing her one wrist, Edward dried the tear down her cheek with the back of his index finger, and her eyes noticeably fluttered shut.

"I really missed you, you know" his voice hushed to her; husky but with so much longing.

She chanced a look into his eyes as she answered back. _"I missed you…"_

Her bottom lip fell into a pout as she looked at him, another tear seeping through her tear duct, and swimming down the side of her face.

There was nothing else to do after that, as the gap between them grew smaller and smaller, and they eventually came together in a tender but hesitant kiss.

It was fairly brief as they found themselves pulling away, looking into each others eyes whilst silent unanswered questions lingered between them. But both knew there was no going back now, and although the odds were against them, they didn't surrender to them, they followed their gut and let temptation win out.

A moan caught in the back of Bella's throat as their kiss intensified, and as his hands let go of her wrists, clasping around her waist like he claimed her, she sunk further into his embrace.

...

Bella was laid out on her back on the bed some time later, with Edward hovering above her; skin to skin. He cupped her cheek and kissed her slowly on the lips one final time, before he pulled away from her, and rest in the space by her side.

Edward breathed a heavy breath, his body was drenched and achy, and he pushed the covers down to his waist to get some air.

Running a hand through his dishevelled hair he turned his head to look at her, "Are you ok?" he asked, as she remained frozen in the same position, looking up at the ceiling like a statue. She was lost somewhere. Millions of thoughts flooding her mind over everything that had happened. The events of the past year, their agreement, the fall out, and the fact that once again she'd found herself here. One second it seemed like he was about to say they never should've started this, the next, they were in bed together.

And although she hadn't protested, it was suddenly looking extremely likely that sex was all it had ever been about… for Edward anyway.

When she failed to answer he shuffled over, stroking a finger lightly against her cheek. "Bella?" he called once again, and it was through shivering that she pulled out of her trance.

She soon nodded back, glancing to meet his eyes briefly before facing the ceiling once again.

"Talk to me" he gently persisted, and her expression flittered at that. Calmness turning to agitation. As if_ she_ was the one that needed to do the talking!

"And what exactly am I supposed to talk about Edward?" she retorted, as she pulled back to look at him with scolding eyes. "How my dad's in denial and driving me crazy about it? I'd sooner have him shout at me than live like this! You know he's trying to set me up with the porter here! As if that's going to help matters!" her emotion, a mixture of irritation and upset, sounded out, and as her voice cut short, the silence seemed even more deafening than before.

She panted heavily as her emotion exploded into verbal diarrhea.

"_Sorry"_ Edward muttered back pathetically. She'd stumped him with that one, and he suddenly realised how lucky he'd been in having Esme' on his side. She may not have understood, but at least she'd actually acknowledged reality, rather than pushing it aside like Charlie had done these past 4 weeks.

"You know if anyone should talk around here, it's you!" she snapped at him, glaring into his eyes. That too caught him by surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Edward, you've_ never_ talked to me! Not about anything important anyway. So unless you're just completely mindless with no opinion at all, I'm sure you can come up with at least something to say!"

"Actually I have plenty to say, thanks. But I'm not going to fight with you over this!" he huffed in exasperation, sitting up on the bed and turning away from her.

"Why not? Maybe fighting would actually solve this" she too had risen from where she lay. And as Edward was now the one who failed to answer, she shook her head in frustration. Shuffling out of bed she grabbed her night gown, wrapping it around her frame before walking back over to the broken glass.

"What are you doing?" he said as he watched her perch herself in a crouch on the floor. "I thought I told you to leave that!" he ordered her from where he sat on the bed.

"Yeah well, I chose to ignore you. There's a lot of that going around, in case you hadn't already noticed" she mocked at him in a scoff.

"Fine, go ahead and cut yourself. See if I care!"

"Fine, I will" she exaggerated a fake smile. "And maybe I'll go out with Jasper while I'm at it!"

"You go ahead and do that Bella. See if that'll make you feel any better" he drawled back, growing tired of her moods.

"Would it make _you_ feel better?" she turned it back on him.

"What?" he asked bewildered. "Well no of course not!"

"Why!"

He shook his head at her pettiness. "The fact that you just asked me that, clearly proves you know nothing about me".

"Is it because you'd rather keep me to yourself?" she asked as she rose from where she'd crouched. "Have me as your little sex slave?"

"Excuse me!" he burst, disgusted.

"Well is it?" she challenged him.

"Is that what you think this is about? …" he looked her directly in the eye, and she shrugged back conceitedly; pursing her lips together as she folded her arms across her chest. "Well how's this for enlightenment Bella... I have my room key. It's in my back pocket" he said as he picked up his discarded trousers from off the floor, rummaging in the pocket and pulling out the key to show to her, "the same place it's been _all_ day".

Her face frowned as he showed her the key. "What are you talking about? You said you'd lost it".

"I made it up!" he burst in exclamation. "I had my key all along. So I guess that makes me a liar as well as an ignorant bastard!"

"Why would you…"

"Why do you think Bella?" his voice began to soften. "I made it up because I knew that was the only way you'd ever let me in" he explained.

She shook her head. "That's not true" she spoke, almost stuttering the words out sheepishly. "I would've let you in if you'd have knocked".

"No you wouldn't have. I mean just look at you Bella, you're an emotional wreck. You're freaking out over your dad, you can barely even handle your feelings for me, and you're yelling at me like its going to do any good! It's not, it only makes things worse."

She laughed half-heartedly. "You say it like you know all the answers".

He shrugged as if to say, 'well maybe I do for once'. "_I_ may not be an open book, and I can see why that would be frustrating for you, and I'm sorry, but I can certainly read _you_ like one now…

…Bella" he sighed as he walked towards her; cupping her chin to make her look at him. "Don't try and push me away, because it won't work," tears pooled in her eyes at his words. "No matter how much you yell at me, or accuse me of things, I'll still be here… I can't keep being your punch bag though. Arguing won't do anyone any good. We need to stick together in this now".

"I don't understand what you're saying to me." she sobbed; feeling herself growing increasingly emotional through her state of exhaustion and confusion.

But Edward understood exactly what she needed to hear. "I'm saying … that I love you" he finally revealed, and she very nearly choked on her tears at that, she was so happy. "I'm saying that, I've been going out of my mind this past month, insane with worry over you! And no matter how much I tried to forget it, it just made things worse. Hell I even went as far as punching the wall, just because I was so angry with myself for being the cause of all of this! And I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry enough to have ever stopped being with you. Maybe I would've changed some thing's, been more honest and opened my eyes long before this all blew up, but I'd never want to change our time together. Not for anything".

She smiled as she wept, biting on her lip as she listened to him. _"You said … you love me_" she reiterated after a moment.

And he reaffirmed with a small smile. "I do".

Her hand cupped her mouth as she cried, overwhelmed. And a moment later she'd thrown her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. _"I love you…_ _And I'm sorry_". She wasn't sure why she was apologising, maybe for yelling at him earlier perhaps? But it didn't matter; he'd just spoken the three words she'd longed to hear. She'd spent so long thinking it was nothing more than a pipe dream to hear him say it back, but apparently not. Her wish had been granted after all.

"Why are you apologising?" he chuckled a little as he rubbed her back.

"_Because I've been so horrible to you"_ she managed to wail, in the process trying not to suffocate herself at the hand of her heightened emotion. _"Yelling at you and ignoring you. I don't know how you could even love a person like that," _her words murmured in his ear.

Edward took her shoulders in his hands, encouraging Bella to look at him. "It's not hard to love you Bella" he told her. "In fact it's the easiest and most beautiful feeling I've ever felt … I just wasn't sure if you felt the same way".

"I thought that was obvious" she replied sheepishly as she smiled.

"Well, apparently I'm not as observant as I thought" he nodded, pulling an awkward face, "In fact; it was Tanya that literally had to drill it into me. She wasn't wrong when she called me 'hopeless'" he rolled his eyes before snickering softly.

A small lopsided smile crossed Bella's lips. "Good old Tanya hey".

And he mimicked back her expression. "I know you hate her Bella, but if it wasn't for her, we probably wouldn't be here right now".

"I don't hate her Edward… I wish I was more like her actually" she told him honestly.

But he failed to hesitate in his answer. "I don't," and his face turned thoughtful at her words.

"Really?"

"Well if I did, I'd be going out with Tanya right now, not you" he gladly informed her. And she nodded back, cheeks blushing.

"True".

Edward smiled in adoration, resting two fingers beneath her chin to angle her face as he tenderly kissed her. A second later, he swooped her up into his arms when she wasn't expecting it. Bella yelped in delighted surprise, as he whisked her off her feet.

Taking her over to the bed he set her down, lying himself beside her and kissing her on the lips.

"You know, this would be completely perfect, if I wasn't so scared of reality" she hushed to him, as they lay on their sides face to face.

"You mean Charlie?" his smile dimmed a little.

Bella nodded back. "I don't know what he's going to say to this" her eyes once again glistened with threatening tears.

Once again Edward felt deflated, but not over Charlie, over Bella's heartbreak and constant worry. He now made it his mission to solve this. "Me neither… but I'll talk to him. I know you wouldn't think it, but it might be better coming from me".

"What will you say?" she asked cautiously. Not entirely down with the idea of having Edward talk to Charlie. She knew Edward would be gentle about it, given the precariousness of the situation, but still, Edward could be as soft and as gentle as a feather, yet Charlie was still potentially a time bomb waiting to happen… who was to know how Charlie would react after all this time? Dredging up a moment in time he quite clearly wished to avoid.

Only time would tell with that one. But Bella appreciated Edward's willingness and determination to set things straight. She could see it in his eyes.

"The obvious, that I'm crazy in love with his daughter, and if he doesn't give me a chance, I'll … I'll chain myself to you" he joked, trying to make her feel better.

She laughed back at that. "Well I can think of worse things" she smirked softly. And his smile grew broad in amusement.

With heavy eyes she tried to stifle a yawn, but failed miserably as he immediately detected it. "You should get some sleep".

"I'm not tired".

"Again with the lies!" he smartly pointed out; teasing her.

"Fine" she relented with a smile. "So maybe I am… I just don't want to close my eyes".

"Don't fight it Bella. I'm right here" he sensed her insecurities, and wound an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She shuffled into the warmth of his chest. "See, you can still feel me, even if you can't see me with your eyes closed. I'm still here".

She smiled as her eyes fluttered shut.

"Edward?" she spoke drearily. "Will you promise me something?" she opened once again.

"Anything".

"Promise you'll still be here tomorrow, when I wake up ... Every time I've ever woken up you've been gone. Promise that won't happen again".

"I promise" Edward said softly, as he kissed her lightly on the nose. And satisfied with his answer, she let sleep lure her into a bout of peacefulness…


	18. Chapter 17

**Aw, you guys leave such lovely comments =] I'm glad you're still enjoying this fic. I wish I could update more often/leave you teasers for future chapters, but the truth is I've caught up with myself. I used to be about 3 chapters ahead of myself, but alas, I've run out =|**

**Also hence the lack of regular updates these days =/**

**Sorry about that :(**

**But thanks for sticking with me! I still enjoy writing this fic and I'm glad you still enjoy reading it! And were slowly but surely reaching its finale' *cries***

**Anyway, never fear, there's still more to come! Now on with the chapter…**

Chapter 17:

(2am)

Bella's eyes flickered open to find a cold empty space beside her, and she rose with a start, frantically looking left and right to find him. Which she eventually did, crouched down on the floor several feet away from her.

Edward meanwhile, alerted to Bella's panicked movement, rose from where he'd huddled over the glass. "Hey" he called to her, as he made his way over to the bed, perching himself on the mattress beside her.

"_I was worried you'd gone_" she sounded so small as she spoke; so helpless and fragile.

"No chance. I made a promise, remember" he reminded her with a sweet smile. And her entire body relaxed back into the bed as his lips caressed her forehead.

Laying back down and placing her head onto the pillow she gazed up at him. "I was just cleaning up" he told her, and she recalled the memory of having previously broken a glass.

"You could've just left that" she spoke weakly.

"It's fine. It's done now" he smiled, taking her hand to play with. Shuffling herself up against the headboard to reach his level, she took note of their joined hands. She lightly brushed the surface of his wound, tracing the gash across his knuckles with her index finger. Her brow furrowed as she did.

"Hey, you think that's bad, you should've seen the wall" he smirked, and her eyes met with his, her lips twitching a little at his comment. "My mom was furious. Given we just sold the house and all. But oh well" he shrugged. "Gota let my frustration out on something".

"You should try a stress ball next time" she smiled, amusement in her eyes, and he nodded back in delight.

"What time is it anyway?" she turned her vision towards the window, the curtains were open a jar, revealing a sheet of darkness outside.

"It's late. Or early, depending on which way you look at it..." there was a glint of humour in his eyes as he spoke. "You should sleep" he told her.

"I won't sleep without you next to me".

He smiled back lightly. "Glad to hear it". And silently hoped that wouldn't be a problem from now on anyway. "Oh" he suddenly remembered, "I hear congratulations are in order?"

She frowned, unsure of what he was talking about. "Your exams. You got into uni" he reminded her.

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks, it still hasn't sunk in yet. Cant believe school's over already".

He nodded back. "Well at least I won't be commuting on my own to uni now. We can take the train together; we'll be like, commuter buddies" he smirked at his suggestion.

But Bella's face remained serene. "Actually, I've already arranged to stay on campus".

"Oh. Oh right". Edward nodded once in understanding, his face still smiling, but not nearly as enthused as he'd previously been.

"I finalised it a couple of weeks ago, when things were bad. I thought it was for the best. There was no way I could stand to be so close to you…living with you, but not actually… being with you…" she studied his thoughtful expression; wondering what he was thinking.

"...But, maybe now things are looking up, we could enquire about getting a double room" his head rose at that, colour in his cheeks returning. "I mean, if you wanted to of course".

As if Edward would ever need to be asked twice! Being permanent roomy's with Bella certainly overshadowed his commuter-buddie idea. But he tried to remain as cool as he possibly could. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan".

"It might be easier for Charlie and Esme' as well. Not having us in their faces all the time. It might help them come to terms with things".

He nodded once again. "Yeah," and suddenly there were two bonus's to that completely awesome plan. "I think you're onto something there Swan".

"Well, I like to think I'm a master of brilliant ideas" she said smartly.

"True that ... And it'd be fun living with you" he smiled, now intrigued by the many possibilties. He moved the quilt to one-side, shuffling over to hover above her body, she slid down the pillow and onto her back on the bed as the gap closed between them. "Although, if I'm honest, I will miss being able to sneak into your room when you're not expecting it" his hand slid beneath the night gown she still had on, to caress her inner thigh. "I guess I'll just have to surprise you in different ways though" his eyes were intense as he looked down at her, and her body squirmed a little, her breath and eyes heavy as he touched her.

"_You always surprise me_" her voice gushed. And her legs spread apart as his hand moved from her thigh to undo the knot in her gown. She was glad to be released from the restrictive material.

He captured her lips as he bound himself to her. There was no space between them as he rolled them both over and she swallowed him whole. Finding herself straddling him like a horse. His one hand rested on her thigh, while his other one placed itself on her butt cheek, manoeuvring her as she rocked.

As the sweat poured from her pores she fully removed the night gown that surrounded her, tossing it to the floor leaving her naked.

She arched her back as she stretched out, and using any strength he had left, Edward pushed himself upwards, hooking both hands around her backside as he sat up, legs out wide. And all the while he kept her fixed to him, whilst her legs wound around his waist.

She continued to pulsate into him as they kissed, but as their movements became more vigorous and out of control, their mouths broke apart to reach their ultimate climax. They were left exhausted at the finish, both resting their heads on the others shoulder, as they sat together in tranquil silence.

…

"_Oh, damit_" cursed Bella in a mutter, as she looked at the time displayed on her cell phone, it read 11am. That and the 4 missed calls from her dad told her they'd overslept, big time.

Placing her phone back onto the bedside table she swivelled her body around, seeing Edward lying beside her, soundlessly asleep.

For a moment she simply admired him, that little smile on his face, the rosiness of his cheeks, it almost pained her to deprive him of such peacefulness, but given they'd probably already aroused their parents suspicion enough, it seemed the wiser option to just wake him up, rather than prolong it.

"Edward?" she stroked his arm with the back of her index finger, and he twitched, forehead crumpling as he came around. His hazy eyes were like slits of black as he was dragged from sleep into awareness. "I'm really sorry to wake you, but it's after 11".

"_Oh" _he hushed, eyes opening wider to reveal his ocean-blue iris'. "Ok ... I'm up" he forced his heavy body upright, running a hand through his hair as he took a second to be still and silent.

"Dad's been phoning me all morning" added Bella, as she climbed out of bed and knelt down beside her suitcase. There was a tinge of dread in her voice as she spoke, and it wasn't hard to tell why.

"They're probably freaking out you know, wondering where we are. The last thing we want is for them to end up strolling up here to try and find us," she went on, while Edward seemed mesmerized as he stared at her naked back, the strands of her dark brown locks sprayed out down her neck and past her shoulder-blades; she looked like a mermaid.

"And what would we even say anyway? Can you imagine their faces, talk about total déjà vu" she continued jabbering on.

Meanwhile, shifting himself out of Bella's side of the bed, Edward came up behind her, crouching down at her back when she wasn't expecting it. She was soon made aware though, and shivered as he gently removed the hair to oneside, before he nuzzled her neck, kissing her skin and quieting her anxious utterances.

She held onto the suitcase for support in front of her, her eyelids fluttering shut at the sensation of his mouth sucking her neck. Before his lips released her, his hands at her waist guiding her around to face him.

He didn't say anything as he placed a light kiss to her knee which was perched upright before him. And then a moment later he'd attacked her lips in a hot and passionate kiss.

She inevitably lost her footing as he leant into her, and she stumbled backwards, not far enough to hurt herself, but she ended up on her backside, with her back pressed into the edge of the suitcase; not that she minded of course. She was far too caught up in their passionate embrace to even take note of anything else around her.

Edward's hands raked her body, his large palms massaging her skin, and knowing he was so close to her centre, she almost couldn't take it. Bella throbbed for him, a warmth sizzling up inside of her; like a brimming fire, but as he pulled away and simply looked at her, she forcibly had to control herself.

_"What was that for?"_ she panted across to him, her body now damp but ready for action. Her mind was practically in hysteria at the fact that he'd stopped mid-way. But she knew it was the right thing to do, they couldnt get carried away, not with their parents waiting for them downstairs.

"Just because…" he shrugged, a light smile on his face, but there was an intensity in his eyes; one he had only for Bella.

From an outsiders perspective, Bella imagined they would've looked quite bizarre sat there, all cooped up on the floor, pressed up against her suitcase. But for Bella, it couldn't have been more romantic. He'd caught her off guard, ravished her like she was the only thing left in the world; she couldn't feel more wanted if she tried.

But then, as per usual, reality kicked in. "… I might not be able to do that again for awhile, depending on how our parents take it" he admitted, and with that, her previous longing for him turned from an ache in her stomach to a churning of uneasiness and sickness.

The colour and exuberance drained from her face, ever so slightly, and as Edward picked up on it, he immediately wished he could take it back.

"But hey, not to worry" he ran a hand up and down her bare thigh. "As if _I _cant win Charlie over! ... Things will come right in the end Bella. You'll see" he stroked her cheek, pecking her lips one more time before smiling at her.

"Anyway, we best get going. Or they'll by sending out a search party" he said as he steadied her back onto her feet, before standing up and heading off towards the bathroom to change.

After she'd watched him walk away, Bella re-positioned herself back where she'd previously been. Digging into her suitcase whilst desperately trying to cling onto that ever diminishing light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel…

…

"Bellz!" announced Charlie as he noticed his daughter up ahead, bags in hand; but his smile faded a little as Edward came into view behind her; but it was only a glimmer. "Where were you? You missed breakfast" Charlie asked, his eyes moving from Bella to Edward and back again.

"Yeah, sorry, we overslept" she spoke casually as she dumped her suitcase beside him, but on seeing a flicker cross her parents faces, she quickly back peddled, "I mean, not _we_, _we_ didn't oversleep" she hand gestured between herself and Edward, but that only appeared to make things worse. "I meant, more as in… never mind" she sighed, "Did you sleep well?"

Charlie gave a feeble nod, a thoughtful line across his forehead, but as he grasped his glass of orange juice, taking a sip, the crease seemed to disappear. Esme' meanwhile lightly dabbed her mouth with her napkin before setting it aside.

"If you're hungry, breakfast doesn't close for another 10 minutes" announced Esme', as she briefly eyed her watch.

"Yeah, I think I might grab a light snack before we leave" mused Bella, as she cast an eye towards the breakfast counter that the cooks had left for them.

"Yeah, best get our moneys worth" Edward smirked, rubbing his hands together.

"You mean, _our _moneys worth" Charlie reminded him, almost jokingly. And Edward grinned back at his step-fathers light banter; surprised that Charlie had even acknowledged him. He'd barely spoken a word to him since he'd arrived.

"Hey, I was thinking of _you_ when I said it" Edward humoured him, before following Bella away.

Standing at the fruit counter, Edward uttered to Bella. "You know, you didn't have to go to such a great length to back-pedal just then" it was the first time since last night that an evident irritation hindered Edward's voice. "You could've just left it. It might be better if they just work it out for themselves anyway" he spoke keeping a straight face, trying to be subtle about it.

"What? No way! I don't want them finding out like that, not here, not a day after their wedding. It wouldn't be fair" she muttered back, annoyed over his sudden lack of sensitivity.

But Edward gave a solemn nod in response, and despite rolling his eyes he knew she was probably right. It just grieved him to keep the true state of their relationship so hidden. Grabbing some fruit in silence, he headed back towards the table to rejoin their parents.

"Hey! Bella, right?" a voice called to her left, and Bella found Jasper walking towards her, she'd almost forgotten about him and was surprisingly thankful for the change in company.

"Hey, Jasper! I was wondering if I'd see you again".

"Yeah, well I'm glad I caught you. I er, wanted to give you something" he turned shy and awkward, and as he ushered Bella to one side, she had a feeling she knew what this was about… at least she hoped anyway.

"Would you, would you mind giving this to your friend for me please? Alice?"

A smile spread across Bella's face, finding him utterly adorable as he sheepishly handed her a small piece of paper with his cell number scrawled onto it. "Of course I will. I'd be happy too."

"Great. Thanks. I mean, she can just text me, or phone me if she wants; whatever's easier. Or, you know she doesn't have to, I don't want it to seem like I'm pressuring her or anything. Anyway it's totally her call".

Bella tried her best not to snigger, amused by his awkwardness. But it seemed the whole dating thing was pretty alien to him; having lived out in the middle of nowhere for so long. He was doing quite well considering, at least he'd been bold enough to make the first move, and Bella was grateful for that, and she knew Alice would be too.

"Thanks, I'll give it to her when I get back, I promise".

"Great, thanks! Well anyway, it was nice meeting you Bella. Safe journey yeah! And maybe, I'll see you around" he spoke as he started to walk away.

"You know what Jasper, I have a feeling you will" Bella smiled back knowingly, and he walked away with his head held up high. It was obvious he felt good about himself, and that in turn made Bella feel good. She was happy she could be the mediator in getting two lovely people on the road to love and happiness. And hopefully it would be a smoother ride than the one she was currently on.

Bella turned around to see her dad's dorky face before her. His smile was so suggestive, like he assumed she'd just pulled or something. And aside from her annoyance, it was all starting to creep her out more than anything.

"Don't bother!" she warned him, pulling a serious face, before turning back towards the food counter to grab some things.

"Alright" Charlie rolled his eyes, letting it go a lot easier than Bella had thought he would. "Well are you kids ready to make a move or what? Lots of packing to be done at home!" teased Charlie, as Bella stuffed the piece of paper with Jaspers details safely into the pocket of her jeans, before grabbing a couple of bananas, an apple and a pack of crackers for the jaunt back home.

"Packing! Great. I can hardly contain myself," Bella spoke in sarcasm as she grinned back at her father. "No, really" her eyes opened wide as she looked at him.

"Oh Bellz, the excitements just oozing from you" Charlie commented back in amusement, as he grabbed his bags and headed for the exit. Bella mimicked his actions and followed along.

"Edward, will you help me with these bags?" Esme' called to her son, despite only having two bags herself.

But Edward doubled back anyway, thinking nothing of it. "Sure" he said as Charlie and Bella headed for the vehicle. "So did you enjoy your first night as a married lady?" he smiled, "And dont go into too many details, its too early to be grossed out by my parents. I dont think my stomach could take it", he smirked, but the response he received was far from expected.

"What are you doing Edward?" her tone was filled with disapproval, warning and concern. He didn't have to guess what his mother was referring too. "Tell me you haven't?" Esme' pleaded with him.

He sighed, glancing up ahead at Bella and her father, who both shared a laugh between them. "Haven't what mom?" he suddenly felt impatient.

"You promised me this was over".

"I did no such thing" he told her. "And it's different this time. We're not just fooling around anymore. This is real for us" she silently shook her head, not knowing what to think. "I'm going to fix this mom, I promise" he looked her directly in the eye; sincere and resolute.

"Oh Edward" she sighed, shaking her head once more. "Just don't mess this up, do you hear me!" she told him fiercely, almost out of character for the gentle mother he was so used too, but there was more fear in her eyes than anger. Before he could answer back, a clueless Charlie re-appeared, beckoning them on.

"You guys coming or what? Unless of course you plan on walking home?" he grinned.

And Edward didn't waste any time as he headed out, leaving his mother and her concerns behind him. Edward had his own worries, he couldn't deal with hers as well…

**Upcoming chapters - The big move is upon us! How will the four of them handle living together as a 'proper' family? Charlie finds something unexpected - will it lead to a change of heart? And all is finally revealed. How will Charlie handle Bella's serious relationship? Will he welcome Edward with open arms, or a flying punch? =P**


	19. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the wait everyone! Thanks again for reading! :)**

Chapter 18:

(The following day)

It was another rare day of sunshine in Forks Washington. Despite it being early August and the peak of summer time, the suns presence was often few and far between.

But today, similarly to the past two days, the T-shirts and shorts were out in full force.

"You know, I always knew this truck would come in handy some day" Charlie admired the vehicle through his tinted specs, patting the hunk of metal with his hand, in awe of his belongings which sat tightly clamped down by metal chains, in the backend of the truck.

No time had gone to waste as soon as they'd returned home from the wedding; their life already stashed away in packing boxes and crates, their sofa and cupboards covered in a protective plastic film ready for the off.

The truck had been the most perfect excuse for speeding things along, hauling up those various necessities, such as clothes, sets of drawers, tables and the odd cupboard here and there. It was just the larger, heavier items that put a slight delay on things, they were to be transported by a proper removal van at a later date, but for now, the truck proved efficient.

It was 10am as Charlie and Edward prepared for their 1st trip of the day. The house was only a 30 minute drive away from their current home in Forks, so for Bella and Charlie, it was only a minor change of location, for Edward and Esme' on the other hand, it was a complete change of state.

This new house was considerably larger in size, accommodating for a grown up family of four. Unlike the current one, it had four bedrooms and two large bathrooms. The living room/dining area was also somewhat grander. And the garden provided a challenge that Charlie was up for. The house was also relatively brand new, so aside from the bare garden, there was very little work that needed to be done.

"Bellz, I've still got room to spare in the truck. Fancy bringing down some of your boxes? May as well cut the number of trips down" Charlie called out to his daughter. _"The more we get done today the better"_ he muttered to himself, while Bella sat on the front steps to their soon to be ex-house. Not moving an inch at her name being called.

"Bellz?" he frowned, looking up towards where she crouched.

"Yeah, be right there" she spoke obliviously, currently in the process of something equally as important. Texting her best friend.

As promised, she sent Jasper's contact details to Alice. She hit send with a smile of excitement, just imagining Alice's unexpected surprise once she received them.

She stuffed the phone into her back pocket. "Alright, I'm done. What did you need?" Bella stood up in question, and placed her hands on her hips as she looked at him.

"The boxes from your room please" Charlie nodded, looking her in the eye.

"Oh ok, just a sec" she swivelled on her heel and darted up the stairs.

"But just the small ones! Don't go breaking your back!" she heard her fathers distant voice shout back to her.

On entering her room Bella paused and scanned the space; overwhelmed by the display before her. Almost everything was in packing boxes now, all scattered across her floor in a cluttered but orderly fashion, ready for the off. Minus her bed of course, which sat untouched.

It didn't even look like her room anymore; it was so bare and cold, in dire need of being re-decorated. Yet it still held so many memories. Dear ones that Bella held close to her heart, such as Charlie helping her with her homework during her first ever grades of school, they'd huddled up onto her floor side by side as they delve into her work. Not to mention all the times Alice had slept over and they'd watched movies until the early hours of the morning, ate popcorn and sweets until they felt sick to the stomach. And of course, the times she'd spent with Edward. The latter having the most significance to her now. Because exhilaration aside, it had helped shape her as a woman, an educational experience some might say, as well as showing her what was truly most important in life.

A tear crept down her cheek at the thought of leaving this house behind. Having been so caught up in all the relationship/wedding drama's of late, she'd never had the opportunity to take a moment and really process what was about to happen. And now that moment had come, and it seemed it was a greater loss than she'd ever expected it to be.

Standing their in silence, she felt a comforting hand touch her back. It was Edward.

"End of an era?" Edward rubbed her back soothingly.

"Hmm?" she half turned her head but kept her eyes on her room.

"Leaving this place?"

She nodded back, hastily wiping away her tears, "A lots happened here".

He smirked softly, "Don't I know it" he mused as he looked at her. A smile curved her lips as she turned to him. "Happy memories" he added.

"And some slightly questionable ones" she teased him, as she lightly whacked his stomach.

"And you wouldn't have had it any other way" he affectionately stroked her cheek.

Her face softened thoughtfully. "I grew up here Edward. My childhood's in this room. This house. I guess I just … needed a moment" she swallowed away the lump in her throat; never anticipating it would be this hard to say goodbye.

He nodded understandingly. "Well you take as long as you want".

She sniffed away her final tears. "I can't. If I think much more about it, I won't want to leave. And anyway, I'm looking forward to my new life now. With you" she glanced at him.

"Glad to hear it".

With a soundly exhale she ran a hand through the strands of her hair. "Well, I guess I better make a start with this" she said as she went for the box closest to them, bending down and picking it up. It was about the size of two shoeboxes, and contained old school work books from Bella's final year. She'd wanted to throw them out, but Charlie, being so proud, had told her otherwise.

"Here, let me" Edward came up towards her, taking the box. And as he did their hands touched. Their eyes lingered, and a small hopeful smile twitched Bella's lips.

Leaning forward Edward lightly pecked her lips; hoping to offer her some level of reassurance amongst all that angst she fought to conceal. But as he turned around and attempted to walk away, she tugged at his arm. "Promise you'll go easy on him. I know he's been a pain, but, he's my dad".

"I promise" he told her directly. "You don't have to worry about anything. The last thing I want is for this to end badly. It'd just be nice to know what's going on inside his head. If we can understand that, we're half way there".

She nodded back meekly. "Should I wish you luck?"

"Luck? Pfft, as if I need luck" he gave her a light-hearted but knowing luck, a small curve of a smile, before she watched him walk away.

…

"Great news about Bella getting into uni" Edward felt compelled to speak up.

25 minutes into the drive, and the silence was becoming virtually unbearable.

"Yeah, well I always knew she could do it", answered Charlie, passively but also somewhat defensively, as he kept his eyes which hid beneath those sunglasses on the road ahead. "It'll be good for her to get away. Meet some new people, broaden her horizons, the independence will be good for her; help her grow".

"She's not a little girl anymore Charlie, she's already a woman. Whether you like it or not, Bella grew up a lot this past year" Edward informed him, with a careful, soft and reasoning approach. Above all, hoping to avoid a heated confrontation.

He scoffed lightly under his breath. _"Through no fault of her own"_ Charlie muttered back, purposefully shifting forward in his seat, his hands firmer around the steering wheel.

But Edward heard it loud and clear. "Nobody forced Bella to do anything. She has her own mind Charlie. Whatever decisions have been made, they were made mutually…" Edward went on, for once thinking he was getting somewhere, but as Charlie simply ignored him, shutting off the engine, stepping out the car and slamming the door shut behind him, it seemed progressing with Charlie was proving a little more difficult than he'd hoped for.

Realising they were now at the new house, Edward followed with a sigh.

Stepping outside, Edward's eyes bulged as he took note of the fresh surroundings; it was the first time he'd visited the new house, and it looked nothing like the Forks he knew and expected. The neighbourhood was in pristine condition, with an overly secure, privatised feel to it. The houses all looked scarily similar, all white with picket fences that seemed to go on for miles down the street, and the green gardens were all trimmed to what appeared to be a precise one inch in height. To Edward it seemed awfully artificial, very un-homely like; a typical middle class American Dream home. Not exactly to Edwards fancy, but being their first joint family home, he could think of much worse. And in any case, it was the company more so than the surroundings that Edward was bothered about.

"Did we just step into the Truman show or something?" Edward commented through his bafflement, never expecting this. How could their parents even afford such a thing? But Charlie simply busied himself with unlocking the back of the truck. Obviously not in the mood for Edwards light banter.

"So how'd you want to do this anyway?" Edward questioned as he eventually closed the truck door, only to have a set of keys come flying his way, as Charlie tossed them across to him. He caught them with ease however, and realised the unspoken answer was to open the front door.

Edward did as prompted, a part of him eager to investigate the house, but instead, he promptly returned to the truck to lend a hand. At least he presumed he would, but it seemed Charlie, wrapped up in ignoring Edward, had other ideas.

"So what? Now you're too proud to even ask for my help?" Edward acknowledged, as he watched his step-father clamber onto the backend of the truck, and by himself, struggle to remove the secured chains which held down the tables and drawers they'd brought with them. "Well great. I really think my mom and Bella are going to appreciate a call from the hospital saying you've broken your back. That's a real smart move Charlie".

But still silence was all he could manage, with the odd wheeze and huff as Charlie yanked at the unrelenting chains. And while Edward shook his head in exasperation, he felt obliged to carry on.

"What is it Charlie?" Edward kept on, walking further around the length of the truck. "Do you think I'm going to hurt her or something?" he spoke up to him, from where he was standing on low ground. "Are you ashamed of what people will think? What?"

"No!" Charlie exclaimed through his frustration, in the process having finally released the chain before slamming it down onto the base of the truck in his fury, it made a loud clanging sound as it did; metal on metal. This neighboured seemed the type of place which rarely heard raised voices, or any type of loud noise actually, it therefore wouldn't have been a surprise to Edward if a herd of startled people had burst through their front doors in alarm. Neighbourhood watch and all that. But no, not even a peek of someone through the curtains. The street was simply deserted. Maybe everyone was at work?

"I put my trust in you Edward" he looked down at him. "You were supposed to look out for her. I saw you as the protective older brother, the one to beat off all those other good-for-nothing guys when_ I_ couldn't!" he waved them off as he spoke. "And instead you do this. You go around behind my back, both of you lying to me and your mother, and you expect us to just brush that aside and accept it?" he jumped down to Edwards level. "How can I trust you with her after this? She's my daughter Edward, I know her better than anyone, and my Bella doesn't lie to me. Which only makes me wonder if you're to blame for all of this", he then proceeded to grasp the edges of the drawers, pulling them forward to the edge of the truck.

"I let you down. I'm sorry," Edward openly acknowledged his mistakes, watching as Charlie heaved at the wooden object. "And Ok, I admit it; maybe to start with we were thoughtless and naïve. And yes, _I _was the one that initiated it". And that earned an eye roll from Charlie. "But I never forced her into doing anything. If you need someone to blame for this, if that'll make you feel better, then fine, blame me. But just so you know, in doing so, you're only making things worse". And for once Charlie took a step back into reality, leaving the cupboard for now and turning his attention to Edward. For once, Charlie actually listened. "I don't want to have to blackmail you into being ok with me, but if that's all that's left, then so be it. Because here's the reality of it Charlie; Bella is in a mess over you. She feels like she's let you down, like she can't even talk to you anymore. She's worried about you to the point of it making her miserable." A flicker of something flashed across Charlie's face; regret maybe? "And you say that you want what's best for her? Well how you're dealing with this _isn't_ what's best for your daughter. If you want to make things right, you need to talk to her. Just listen to her…"

"You're saying I'm a bad father now?" his eyes narrowed at his step son's words.

"I'm saying you need to open your eyes!" Burst Edward. "I love her Charlie, and I want a life with her", anger turned to astonishment and incredulity in Charlie's eyes; never had he ever imagined Edward to use the L word. "We have the chance to be a family from now on, to make a new start! And yeah, it's going to be tough, but don't make it worse by being at loggerheads with me! Because if it comes down to it, I won't hold back this time, I'll fight for her. But Bella will be the one that suffers in the long run. I don't want that and I'm sure you don't either ... So please, just think about that". And with his cards on the table, and nothing left to say, Edward could do no more.

"_You're still seeing her"_ an utterance passed Charlie's lips as he made his realisation, while he stared blankly into the air ahead of him.

"I'm sorry" Edward sighed. Once again they'd lied, gone behind his back and deceived him. But Edward hoped that this time, Charlie could understand why. "But I'm not sorry for the way I feel about her. And I won't let you punish me for that. I won't stand for it".

The sense of warning and determination in Edward's voice had never been so apparent. But whether he was getting through to Charlie was another matter all together. "Anyway, let's get a move on shall we, the heavens are opening".

For a moment it seemed as if Edward had blindsided him, lost him somewhere, deep in thought. And as he slowly removed his shades, a crease spreading across Charlie's forehead, he glanced up at the sky. No longer an expanse of Pale Ocean blue, but a scattering of clouds of grey; looming with a sense of misery. It certainly put a dampener on such a picture perfect house.

And while the crease across Charlie's forehead never ceased to disappear, he promptly got to work. And although he could barely look into his step sons eyes, their ability to work as a team was what got them through.

Conversation was understandably at an all time low though. Non existent almost, aside from verbal instruction. Not that it mattered; both were consumed by far too many thoughts to even make an effort at some light banter.

Even so, beyond all those lingering questions, had it done any good? Had it simply made things worse? Progress had been made. Edward had vented his concerns and frustrations to his step father, and for once, Charlie had actually listened. He may not have liked what he'd heard, but that was the reality of it. All Edward could do now, was wait.

…

(Elsewhere)

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm here again; it seems further therapy is required. _

_So much has happened this last week. _

_Not only did my father get married to the woman he loves, but Edward and I have made the biggest and boldest decision of our lives. _

_We're together now. An unexpected turn of events I know. But I can't tell you how happy it makes me. Disney fireworks kind of happy. It's been a rollercoaster of a ride, or a long haul plane journey, a turbulent one at that, with so many ups and downs, my stomach could barely take it, but I think were nearing the end now. And thank god for that._

_For so long I thought and feared that I'd lost him. Contemplating a life where I would be forced to see him as a sibling and nothing more. But now I realise, beyond everything else, now matter how much strength and willpower I may have had, it couldn't have been done. It wouldn't have been possible for me to put on a brave face and go on with my life without Edward. _

_Because when I think of it, I want to cry my eyes out. I may as well have had my heart torn out, stolen from me to leave nothing but an empty hollow space. And rather that than live a life with a broken, aching heart. I couldn't live like that, and I'm sure my dad wouldn't want me to either. _

_When I'd mentioned this was a rollercoaster ride, I truly meant it. Charlie being the upside down part, with those sudden twists and turns that leave your body and mind in a tangle. He is my only concern now. My relationship with Edward no longer worries me. We love each other, that's the only thing that matters to me now. I couldn't care less what people may think. I could face ten thousand Jessica Stanley's all at once, as long as I had Edward by my side. My only wish now is for my dad to give us his blessing. _

_I understand that it's hard for him, confusing maybe, given his relationship with Edwards mother. But I can't help that I've fallen for Edward. Love happens in mysterious ways, and if books, movies, even real-life has taught me anything, when you find it, you cling to it, and cling hard. _

_I know I broke my dad's heart having lied to him. But if this is my chance at true happiness, surely he could find it in his heart to forgive me?_

_Is that really too much to ask for?_

_B xxx_

…

(2 hours later)

"Do you think we could get another load in before lunch? Or is that pushing it a little?" Edward asked as he jumped out of the truck.

"Maybe, depends what the girls have got planned" Charlie shrugged as he strolled back up the driveway of the old house, unlocking the front door and stepping inside. "Girls?"

No answer.

"That's strange".

"Gone for a walk. Be back soon. B" Edward read the note aloud, which sat on one of the large boxes near the hallway. "Well great, I guess lunch is out the question then" he rolled his eyes.

"Look, why don't you start down here. Move some of the boxes from the kitchen into the truck, I'll start on the upstairs" Charlie told him, and earned a nod from his step son in return. The two went their separate ways…

A loud exhale surged from Charlie's mouth as he stood before his daughters room. On an average day it resembled that of a jungle. But today, it was more like an obstacle course… thrown into the middle of a jungle. _"How one person can collect this much stuff, I'll never know_" Charlie muttered as he clambered over the boxes in Bella's room to reach the largest one.

He heaved the box into his arms, it was heavier than he'd anticipated, and as he turned around, failing to see the boxes beneath his feet, he stumbled a foot or two, dropping a couple of items in the process.

"_Damit"_ he cursed, placing the box carefully down onto her bed before he bent down to pick up the fallen items.

Most of it was rubbish, well, what Charlie considered as rubbish. But one was her diary, and in the fall it had opened onto the last written page. It was dated at today's date, written less than an hour ago in Bella's handwriting.

Under almost no circumstance, would Charlie read his daughters private diary. But on noticing his name and the words surrounding it, he felt he couldn't turn away.

_...For so long I thought and feared that I'd lost him… _

…_I may as well have had my heart torn out, stolen from me to leave nothing but an empty space. And rather that than live a life with a broken, aching heart…_

…_Charlie is my only concern now. My relationship with Edward no longer worries me. We love each other, that's the only thing that matters to me now…._

…_My only wish is for my dad to give us his blessing…. _

…_Is that really too much to ask for?_

It was the description of her feelings that hurt him the most. 'Heart torn out, stolen from me to leave nothing but an empty space' …

"_Stolen?"_ Charlie muttered the word, his legs turning to jelly as he perched himself on her bed; knowing _he_ would have been the reason for Bella feeling that way. How could he steal that from her? Steal away those warm, magical feelings of love, when that exact same thing had once happened to him. Not in the same way, but the principal remained the same. Charlie's first wife, Bellas birth mother, had ditched him some 18 years ago, at a time when he'd needed her the most, and truthfully, there had been no other feeling like it. He would never wish that on anyone, least of all Bella; his pride and joy.

If only he'd known this was love. And not just presumed it was a silly teenage crush, detrimental to their life as a family.

Should he have had more faith in her, in them? He already knew the answer to that. Yes. Plain and simple.

Charlie's heart shattered at the thought of what he'd put his little girl through; the evident longing and distress in her written excerpt. And as he placed a hand to his face, the tears in his eyes welling up, he heard her soft and beautiful voice.

"Dad? … What are you doing?"

**A/N: Ok, so that chapter really was a bane in my existence lol, I'm not sure why, but I found it really hard to write. And I don't think I like it too much =/**

**But I hope it was at least in some way readable! Lol.**


	20. Chapter 19

**I am so so sorry :( I didn't mean to leave it this long. Once again I struggled with this chapter :S … suffered a bit of writers block, and I'm still not 100% happy with it, but here it is anyway. I couldn't leave you waiting any longer!**

**I hope you enjoy it…**

Chapter 19:

"Dad? What are you doing?" Bella looked wide eyed at her father and the open-paged book that he held in his grasp. She knew that book all too well; it had her life of the past year summed up in several brief excerpts. Without sounding overly dramatic, it had saved her from the realms of insanity. Bella considered it her expense-free weekly counselling session, and her father was currently reading it. "Is that my diary?"

Charlie froze, 'hand of greed half way inside the cookie jar'. His daughters face was a mixture of emotions; he could barely work her out. There was no anger their though, much to his surprise. "Yes" he finally answered; guilty as ever.

"You're reading it," she stated, feeling slightly violated over his intrusion.

"No… well, yes, but only a page. It fell open when I was moving your boxes ..." he tried to justify, not that it made him seem any less pathetic. He was blatantly reading it. _"You should get one with a lock next time"_ he ended with a mutter.

She stared at him for a moment longer, her eyes shifting as she waited for an explanation. But she frowned as he failed to comply. "What's going on?"

He shook his head, making an attempt at a laugh, but it came out more like a raspy breath. "I'm so sorry Bellz", tears were in his eyes as he spoke.

"Sorry? For reading my diary?"

"For… everything," he swallowed hard as he quietly closed the diary shut. It was then that she noticed a shimmer down the side of his face. "Are you crying?"

"Of course not" he smiled awkwardly as he shifted on the bed. "Your old man doesn't cry" he turned his head to the side as he subtly tried to remove the trickling tear stains.

"What is it dad? Has something happened?" she asked, concerned for her fathers mental state.

He nodded back solemnly. "Something has happened Bellz, but I've been too ignorant and selfish to see it…" the crease of confusion across Bella's forehead was only accentuated at her father's words. And although it seemed obvious now that Edward had spoken to him, as promised, what was said and how Charlie had absorbed the information was very much a question mark. "You grew up" he finally added, a revelation to himself more than Bella, as he looked into her eyes with deep interest. "You're not my little girl anymore. You're making grown up decisions, forming relationships, taking control. And here I am, acting like a child".

"That's not true". No matter how much her father's behaviour had infuriated her this past month, she hated to see him like this.

"Of course it is. I acted foolishly. I let you down. I'm meant to be supportive, and yet…" he sighed a lengthily exhale. "I'm so ashamed of myself Bellz… can you ever forgive me?"

Her heart broke. "That's not even a question, dad".

He went on, determined to put things right. "You have to know, that the only thing I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, to protect you from the anguish of a broken heart. I was worried you'd get hurt, but in the process, _I_ was the one that hurt you. I drove you away without even realising it".

"But you didn't drive me away. I'm right here" she presented herself to him.

"Yeah" a small smile lit up his face, but just as it had appeared, it left soon after, his face turning solemn. "You know when your mother, your birth mother, walked out on us, I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut, like my heart had been ripped out from my chest it hurt so badly. And here I am, doing the exact same thing to you".

"That's not true," she implored as she walked forward. Almost stumbling over the boxes as she did, until she perched herself carefully beside her father on the bed. "You didn't know. We should've been clearer, to you and to ourselves. Maybe if we'd told you how we felt, you would've understood."

"Yes, but I still should've respected you both enough to let you make your own decisions" his tone was sharp and cutting with disapproval, but only at himself.

"Dad I never expected you to just accept it, right then and there. You had every right to be upset. We both lied to you. We were selfish and thoughtless. And I'm sorry ... It all just happened so fast, it was like it snowballed out of control, and before we could even stop and think, it was too late. You have to know that I never meant for you to find out that way, and I understand if you were ashamed of me" her head slumped as she stared at her hands.

"Ashamed?" he turned at her words; it pained him to hear his daughter asking such a thing. "Never. I was just… worried".

"Of what?"

"Of life" he admitted, much to Bella's surprise. "Your mother and I, we were so in love, with our whole lives ahead of us. And then it seemed like just one day out of the blue, she walked away from me, I never even had a chance to do anything; she was already half way out the door. Any love she had for me was completely gone," bitterness laced his voice, but he forcefully tried to control himself; he was either about to cry, or growing extremely close to hitting something. "One day I had everything, the next, I was left a single working father ... Not that I regret that now of course," a small smile of fondness curved his lips. Any anger he held soon vanished.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want you to be aware" he told her.

"Aware?"

"Of what could happen."

Her face scrunched up. "What are you…?" and then realization hit her hard. Plagued by fears of loneliness and insecurities; Charlie feared it could happen again. "…Esme's not going to leave you dad," insisted Bella carefully; sensing a counselling session coming on. Maybe Charlie could do with a diary as well.

"Maybe, maybe not," he too and fro'd lightly, before turning sombre in tone. "But no one knows what could happen a year from now, 5 years from now. Maybe one day she'll wake up and just, not love me anymore... it's happened once, it could happen again", but Bella simply shook her head at his reasoning. "…And then I think of you and Edward. And how detrimental that could be for you. If anything did happen, if one couple did break up, what would that mean for us as a family?"

"Is that what this is about? You're worried that if it ever went wrong, that the other couple would suffer because of it?" she summarised; trying to make sense of it.

"Yes. Because the consequence for the family would be dire… you know that I'm right Bellz, you can't deny the possibility."

She shook her head once again, smiling through disbelief. "You're right, I can't deny it," she turned to him. "You said it yourself, nobody knows what will happen 10 years from now, but I do know one thing; I've never seen anyone as in love, as Esme' is with you. And in my entire 18 years of living with you, I've never seen you so happy, and that's all because of Esme'. She loves you dad, I've seen it in her eyes. You were right what you said at the wedding. Some people just work, like puzzle pieces. And when you know, you know. It's never easy, but its not doomed to fail either. Have faith in your commitment dad, in yourself, because we all have faith in you".

"Oh Bellz…," he placed a hand to the back of her head and stroked it. "My little angel. I've never been more proud of you" the sincerity shone from his eyes; glistening like crystals.

"Likewise" she smiled back, emotion bubbling up inside of her. She was happy they were clearing the air, and after so long of facing a daily shunning from her father, his honesty was like a gift to Bella.

Charlie shook his head in return, standing to his feet. "You can't possibly be proud of me Bellz, I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd started resenting me" he informed her as he walked over towards the window; diary still in hand. He looked down to observe Edward on the driveway, still hard at work as he packed the truck with kitchen boxes.

"I've been pretty hard on him, haven't I?" he asked thoughtfully, but it came out more like a statement than a question, and earned no response from Bella, who remained on the bed staring at her hands. "I'll take that silence as a yes then".

"It doesn't matter now" she finally replied; hoping they could all just move past it.

"It matters to me" responded Charlie; eyes fixed on the drive below.

"Do you really love him?" he asked, following a bout of silence. And his head turned a fraction to look at her.

Although she felt uncomfortable, never having spoken about her feelings to her father before, her answer came out as certain as ever. "Yes".

Charlies head withdrew a little as he turned back to face the window. "Would you have preferred if I'd said no?" she asked.

"No, of course not…" her father turned around to face her. "I am happy for you Bella. And if Edward is your choice, if you really do love him, then I wont stand in your way… well, not unless a want a black eye anyway," Charlie didn't laugh out loud at that, but there was a hint of humour in his voice as he spoke.

"A black eye?" she questioned uneasily. Not entirely sure if he was joking or not.

He smiled back, handing her the diary. "It doesn't matter ... Here. You should keep it safe" he told her. And she nodded back, clutching it tightly in her grasp.

So the black cloud had finally been lifted, everything was out in the open, she'd said her piece and Charlie had said more than enough of his. If anything, Bella was slightly relieved regarding the nature of her father's feelings. He wasn't ashamed, nor disapproving of Edward; his main concern was the longevity of their life as a family. The thought of a fractured family tainted his mind. And understandably so considering his history. Like he'd said, no one would know what the future held for them, but having a little faith was a lot healthier than living in fret.

"Well, I guess we better get a move on with this lot, otherwise _you're_ not going to be moving anywhere" smirked Charlie; his eyebrows rising as he eyed her. Picking up the box he cradled it like a baby in his arms. Half way out the door he paused, angling himself back towards her. "So are you sure you're not interested in that Jasper guy?" he asked, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

"Daaad" she warned him with a smile.

"Alright, he just seemed like a nice lad that's all".

"Yeah, well nice lad or not, he's not interested in me. He likes Alice" Bella proudly admitted.

"Aw really, well good for her! I was wondering when she'd find someone".

"Er, Dad, no offence, but you think _way_ too much about our love lives," teased Bella, as she followed him out, practically hopping down each stair step as she went. "It's actually pretty creepy in fact".

"Well how else am I going to get my grandchildren?"

"Dad!" she burst in astonishment. "I'm 18!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. The thought of kids horrified her, she could barely look after herself, let alone a screaming baby.

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to think ahead" he told her as they strolled down the driveway towards the truck, which was now unoccupied as Edward had long returned to the house, before they dumped the boxes into the back of the trailer.

"You know," mused Charlie, as he turned to face his daughter; a memory popping into his mind. "I can remember when you and Alice would be playing together in the front room. I'd be tripping over your dolls and playsets while you pretended to 'marry' them… where'd the time go Bellz? I swear I just blinked my eyes, and suddenly you've both grown up into two beautiful women."

She smiled back adoringly; remembering that moment in time so clearly. "Thanks dad… I think the same about you, you know. One day, you had brown hair, the next, slightly grey" she teased.

"Alright" he laughed, "that's enough out of you". And Bella giggled as they made their way back inside the house.

…

Bella lingered silently beside the kitchen doorway, watching as Edward fumbled in the cupboards, stacking various items into boxes for easy carriage, before he scrambled up and onto his feet, stretching out his tight and aching muscles; a consequence of excessive crouching.

Spinning on his heel he came face to face with Bella, he wasn't startled, but hadn't expected to find her standing their watching him.

As she smiled at him his own face lit up, her happiness was contagious for Edward.

"Hey you" she spoke softly, running her foot along the floor side to side. She felt nervous, awkward almost, a similar sensation to how she'd felt following their first ever night together, without the consumption of alcohol involved; a sizzling of nervous excitement, raw and indescribable.

"Hey yourself" he admired her sheepishness. His body selfishly longing to touch her.

After a moment she walked forward, standing in front of him. Leaning forward on her tip toes, she met him in a short but tender kiss. He pulled back, sensing something had changed, never would she kiss him where there was a possibility of getting caught. But it was more than that, there was a colour in her cheeks that had once seemed so rare, a meaningful twinkle to her eye, and that usual sense of trepidation was nowhere to be seen. "What is it?" he studied her carefully.

She felt like the cat that had got the cream, and as she clung onto his arm, her fingers reaching down to claim his hand, she couldn't hold it in any longer. "I spoke to my dad" she told him, biting her lip after she'd said it.

"You did huh," he smiled, clutching her hand. "So what did he say?" he asked, already having guessed the answer to that one. It wasn't hard to tell by the way her face radiated with so much happiness.

Her answer came in the form of a squeal, as she lunged herself into his chest, enveloping her arms around his neck to pull herself up. Winning the lottery had nothing compared to this feeling.

Edward embraced her warmth, happiness and relief by spinning her around on the spot as she laughed; it wasn't until he came to a stop, squeezing her tight, that he noticed Charlie standing at the doorway.

For so long Edward had faced the brunt of Charlie's disapproval; the father and son bond turning into rivalry. It therefore wasn't a surprise that Edward felt cautious under Charlie's watchful eye, even with an unknowing and overjoyed Bella clinging to his neck.

But as Charlie gave Edward a silent nod, a mutual look of understanding and gratitude passing between their eyes, Edward found himself loosening up. That guarded exterior faded away, and his head bobbed back in acknowledgment.

A moment later an unvoiced Charlie walked away, a hint of a smile in his eyes as he left them alone to their embrace. Nothing needed to be said after that, they'd spoken volumes with their eyes, there was a new found respect shared between them, but above all, beyond any lingering concerns Charlie still had, their feelings were mutual regarding Bella. Her happiness was all that mattered. And if Edward was the key to Bella's happiness, then Charlie would gladly turn the handle…

**A/N: Yay with me people! The cloud has been lifted! =]**

**Ok, so not the best chapter of all =/ Honestly, I prefer writing the earlier scenes – the sneaking around, sexual tension, light banter… I'm never very good with angst and revelations :S … but I gave it my best shot. I wanted to show a different side to Charlie, a naivety and insecure side, that maybe you wouldn't expect from a mature family man, I hope that came across and it wasn't too boring or a let down :( **

**From now on, expect a little more happiness from these two! This fic is quickly coming to an ennnnd! xxx**

**PS, I cant believe I reached over 300 reviews! You guys are amazing! Thank you so much :)**


	21. Chapter 20

**Howdy peeps! Sorry again for the wait. Just before I continue, thanks to those of you that took the time out to read and review; I really appreciate it, particularly as I wasn't overly thrilled with the last chapter (But I think Sabluvslogan hit the nail on the head with that one – it was probably due to the lack of lemon zest lol ... I do love a bit of lemon =P), (Rolange, thanks for the constructive criticism! Always a good thing! Helps me to improve =D) . And everyone else, you're just plain awesome xD! **

**I think someone might have asked me awhile back if Bella and Edward have been using protection, yes they have, I know I rarely (if ever) mention it, but I feel it would drag out the scene too much. So, no, sorry, no little kiddies in this fic! Lol.**

**Hope you enjoy anyway =D Looong chapter coming your way!**

Chapter 20:

"It feels kind of weird, doesn't it? Sitting here in the garden, in broad daylight, holding hands. Its so unlike us" Bella mused light-heartedly to Edward, a small lazy smile on her face as she peered at him through her brown tinted shades. The sun had once again graced Forks with its presence, and not one to miss out on an opportunity, Bella and Edward decided to take a break. They were currently lying down on a plaid picnic rug which sat in the centre of the back garden, side by side; hands entwined.

"Yeah, I guess it is pretty weird. It feels… right though; easy. Like I've just woke up from a coma or something".

"Yeah," she exhaled a sigh of contentment, "I feel like I've just stepped out from a dark tunnel. I was trapped in there for months…" she spoke dreamily, a combination of her body relaxing in the summer's heat, and the heavy weight surrounding her father being lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you, for talking to him for me" Bella's tone remained soft but took a serious turn. "I know it was what you said that changed his mind. Well, that and…" _the diary_, she thought silently to herself. "I'm not saying we should go around flaunting ourselves in front of him, but, at least now we don't have to hide".

Edward silently nodded back, his eyes falling shut as her voice hummed him to near slumber.

"You know, I never realised how afraid of life Charlie was. You don't think do you, that your parents are scared of things. I guess when my mom walked out on him, she really did just, break him… I guess I'm pretty lucky in that sense. That I was so young at the time that it happened, I didn't have to deal with it".

"Yeah" he squeezed her hand in his, and even such a small gesture radiated so much support. "We'll never know what they really went through…" added Edward, as his head shifted towards the side his girlfriend lay. "But I like to think that everything happens for a reason, that some people are meant to be, and some, just aren't. If they'd stayed together, my mom wouldn't have met your dad and we'd be total strangers. I don't know about you, but I prefer the way things worked out" his voice turned light at the end, and Bella's grin extended from cheek to cheek.

"Absolutely" she emphasised with conviction, before a small unavoidable yawn escaped her mouth.

"Someone's tired" Edward pointed out, his one eyebrow cocking up at an angle, as he glanced at her through the corner of his eye.

"No, just relaxed" she stretched out a little; the nervousness she often felt no longer niggled at her stomach. For once she felt good about life. The feeling was long overdue.

After a moment of silence, the only sound heard being the rustling of leaves, as the wind gently wafted through the trees, Edward spoke up. "I'm having a thought".

"O oh, should I be scared?" she smirked at him.

"Be serious" he chuckled back at her, tugging on her arm as he did.

"Alright" she easily relented. "So what's your thought?"

"Well, I was thinking, do you know what we've never done?" Edward asked as he flipped onto his side to face her. She looked back at him oddly, certain there couldn't be many answers to that question. She shrugged back anyway, amusing thoughts and fantasies flowing through her head. One in particular involving a truck came to mind. It didnt take much to think of that.

"We haven't gone on a date. A first official date" he told her, much to Bella's surprise.

"Edward, I think we're kind of passed that now, don't you?" Bella giggled back; now fully awakened by his intriguing thought.

"But are we really?" he asked her, a crease lining his forehead as he questioned her. "There's so much we've missed out on Bella. Sure we know each other well, but there isnt much, aside from the obvious, that we've actually shared... I haven't taken you for a meal for one. I haven't walked you home and held your hand, I haven't kissed you goodnight on the porch before bed time, if you think about it, the list is endless" he went on with what he considered the necessities of a first date.

"But we live together" she informed him, trying to stifle her amusement, although it pretty much showed on her face. "It'd be weird, wouldn't it?" she scrunched up her face in nervous excitement; the idea quickly enticing her. Truthfully, she thought it was a fantastic idea.

"Weird? Hell no, in fact as far as I'm concerned, we've only just met…" he broke their hands at that, and she looked at him as if he'd grown another head. Her face was a mask for her inner enthusiasm however, in fact, secretly, Bella was two seconds away from giggling like a little school girl and jumping around the garden. Suddenly, she was 16 all over again. About to venture on her first ever date.

"So what do you say Swan? Will you go out with me tonight?"

"Hmmm" she pondered playfully, her nose twitching in a way that Edward found utterly adorable. "I'll have to get back to you on that one" she grinned as she pushed herself up and waltzed off into the opposite direction. Entering the house she paused at the door, turning back to him with flushed pink cheeks. He rose into a seated position as he watched her.

"8 sound good?" Bella bit on her lip as she asked. And he nodded back with that crooked half smile of his. "Perfect."

…

8pm ticked by and a knock sounded at the front door. Too occupied with getting herself ready, Bella let her father see to it, thinking nothing of it.

But as her dad called her down, "Bellz, you have a visitor!" her brow twitched; bewildered at the possibility that she could have a visitor at this time of night. Surely Alice wouldn't randomly choose to show up _now, of all times?_

Walking down the stairs and towards the opened front door, confusion shifted to amusement. Her smile grew wide as she laughed at the sight of Edward (a very smartly dressed Edward) standing in the doorway outside, as if it was a _real_ first date.

"Edward, what are you…?" she went to laugh. But he put his hand up to silence her, presenting her with a small bunch of flowers.

"I hope I'm not late" he said like a true gentleman, and she could tell he was already in 'character mode'. The flowers looked beautiful - a bouquet of white and pink lilies - so much so, that a tear crept at the corner of her eye. Never in a million years did she see this moment coming.

"Of course not" she swallowed away her emotions and pulled herself together. "These are beautiful" she admired the delicate petals as she brought her nose towards them, smelling their exquisite sweet scent. No one had ever bought her flowers before.

"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady" he crooned, his eyes moving up and down her body admiringly. Bella's heart turned light and fluttery in her chest, she swore it could take flight at any minute. "Shall we?" he waved his arm towards the car at the bottom of the driveway. He'd borrowed his mom's car, opting for the classier option over that of the truck. Not that Bella minded either way, it was the company that meant the most to her. But of course, Edward wanted to do things right.

"Dad?" she called into the living room and her father who held onto the remote (the TV being one of the few remaining items left in the house) reappeared not long after. "Will you put these in water for me, please?"

"Sure love" he took the flowers with mild interest, lingering at the doorway before leaving. "Now listen son, I want her back at a reasonable hour, got it? No funny business!" Charlie warned him, putting on his overly-protective parental voice to play along, and Bella giggled to herself at how surreal it all was.

"You got it sir" Edward gave a determined nod Charlie's way, before taking Bella's arm and leading her down towards the car…

…

A 30 minute drive across town led them to the heart of Forks City, to a quaint little restaurant which sat down a side street, un-discovered by many, but once found was like lost treasure to the prosperous and avid eater. The place reeked of class, no other restaurant Bella had set foot in, had had a black carpeted runway upon entry, and tiny white tea lights (albeit artificial) scattered either side of it, like it was an entrance to a Palace or an Oscar Ceremony.

The restaurant also required a dress code; no trainers, sports wear or baggy jeans were allowed, chewing of gum was strictly forbidden and outside food and drink was to be disposed prior to arrival. It was the kind of place you went to when you really had something to celebrate, and you weren't afraid of splashing out over tiny portions. Truthfully, it would be totally out of their league on an average day, say Nando's times 5 in price, but today called for a celebration. Fast food just wasn't an option.

"_This place is amazing"_ Bella tried to keep her voice down as her inquisitive eyes took a scan of the room around her. It wasn't packed, but almost half of the tables were occupied, mostly by business men and women, whose pockets were undoubtedly bursting to the brim with money.

There was a definite black and white theme going on, with the subtle hint of purple thrown in. There were white and purple candles dotted everywhere, and the table's centre pieces consisted of real-life flowers for once. There was none of that fake plastic rubbish.

"_I know, pretty swish huh" _his eyes shone at her; he too was amazed._ "And you don't have to whisper. This isn't a library"_ Edward mocked her, hushing his voice down to mimic Bella's level of projection, before he snickered.

"Sorry, I just… can we even afford this place?" she flashed him a look of unease. "I bet you wouldn't get much change out of a hundred, at least".

"That's not my concern, and it shouldn't be yours either. Don't worry about the money" his eyebrows raised as he gave her a knowing look. "Just worry about what you're going to eat" he said as the waiter approached the table with two large menu's, and not the usual flimsy plastic ones, these were bounded in black suede, very posh. They liked their suede.

"Your menu's; Monsieur, mademoiselle" he presented each one individually, "Would you like a minute to decide on your drinks?"

"Yes, that'd be great, thank you" Edward smiled back.

As the waiter walked away Bella leant forward. _"Is this a French restaurant?"_ she asked, lowering her voice once again.

"No, continental, why?"

"Oh, no reason. The guy sounded French, that's all". She brushed it off, as she turned back to her menu.

"French you say. What gave it away?" Edward felt the need to smirk back, causing Bella to roll her eyes at him. _Smartass._ "Why do you ask anyway? Do you have something against French people?" he looked at her oddly.

"No, of course not. I was just wondering" she gave a shrug, as she turned back to face the menu, and of course it was all in a foreign language. She briefly skimmed what looked like the main courses section, with difficulty. In fact she felt like she was getting eye strain from just trying to decipher the menu. But she grew thankful for the pictures. It meant she was at a lesser risk of accidently ordering something slug like. Snails just weren't an option for Bella, no matter how much of a French delicacy they were.

"Yeah well, don't be too fooled by it all. They're probably French by night, but American by day I'm sure" Edward went on. "You know, more often than not the accents put on" he told her, almost sincerely.

"What?" she asked bewildered, holding the menu a fraction to the side as she glanced at her boyfriend. "That's not true."

"Sure it is, they're just trying to make it seem more genuine, create the mood or whatever. But mostly it's just a big con. A little tan, the fake accent, throw on a beret and wollah. It totally transforms the place. Everybody knows that Bella" he gave her a look which said, _don't you know_?

She pulled an awkward face, her eyes turning shifty. "You don't seriously believe that, do you?" she questioned, starting to doubt the restaurants authenticity.

He flashed her a crooked smile back, like he could tell she was buying it. "Who knows what to believe these days," humour danced in his eyes. "Oh and, the English translation's on the back page" he informed her with a broad smile; feeling pleased with himself. "You seemed like you were having trouble" he lightly mused aloud.

A glare flashed through her eyes. "Thanks for that" she forced a grin, before throwing the Menu up in front of her.

"May I take your orders?" that French accent appeared once again, and Bella sheepishly pulled down her menu, to find the waiter now standing there before her.

"Oh, hi. Yeah, sorry, I'll have… the tropical fruit juice please" she smiled, pointing to the one she wanted.

"Bon" The waiter acknowledged. "And, Monsieur?"

"I'll just take a coke, thanks".

"Excellent! Any starters?"

Bella's brow furrowed at that, "Oh, I didn't even get that far on the menu." Her eyes searched frantically for the section that read 'Starters'.

"May I recommend the soup of the day?" the waiter informed them. "Its Caribbean Chicken with sweet vegetables and herbs... or if you're feeling a little more adventurous, there is the restaurants speciality dish, Escargot d'ail; one of our most popular starters" he emphasised, making it sound undeniably delicious.

"Oh right, well that sounds nice. What is that?" enquired Bella, as she looked up at the waiter in question. But it was Edward that answered for him.

"Snails" Edward gladly informed her, a pleased smile on his face, and Bella's leg twitched uncontrollably at the mention of it.

"Oh, right. Ok. I think I'll go with the soup today then, thanks" she forced a grin back.

"Yeah, me too" agreed Edward, as a relieved Bella sank back in her chair; Caribbean chicken was a little more to her taste. Anything that slid around her garden was definitely not going on her plate.

As the waiter walked away Bella shivered. "Snails" she reiterated as she pulled a sickened face; her tongue peeking out as she did.

"You're not down with the snails I take it?" Edward noted as he flicked his vision too and from Bella to the menu.

"And you are?" her eyebrows rose.

Edward shrugged his shoulders, his head moving from side to side suggesting he could be swayed. "Grilled with a little garlic, I could be persuaded. I'd take snails over frog's legs any day".

And gone went her appetite. "Yeah well, when that happens, I'll be sitting over there" Bella signalled to the table in the opposite corner. "Nothing that slithers, or hops, around _my_ garden is ending up on _my_ plate" she told him; almost diva-style.

He smirked back at her rather dramatic and flustered outburst. "So aside from your distaste for French delicacies, is there anything else I should know about you?" Edward looked at her with wide expectant eyes; seeming to flip from one character to the next.

"Well you kind of already know every…" she paused, realising they were back in character again. "Oh, we're back to first date mode, I get it." She straightened her composure.

"So tell me about yourself, Isabella," Edward prompted, as he placed his menu down to one side.

"Oh it's just Bella" she corrected him. And he gave her a nod to continue.

"Well, there's not much to tell really. I've lived here all my life, graduated high school a month ago, and I'm off to Uni in September. That's pretty much it" she shrugged.

"And, your parents?"

"My dad, Charlie, he's amazing. Best dad in the world" she proudly declared.

"That's great. And any other family members?"

"Actually, yeah. My dad recently married someone, her names Esme'. She's moving in with us actually, her son too".

"Oh yeah, and what's he like?" his eyes flared with intrigue. Now they were getting to the good stuff. The stuff where you indirectly throw compliments each others way, or so Edward hoped.

"Her son?" she asked, before releasing a sharp exhale. "Well, to be honest with you, _a right pain"_ she emphasised conceitedly.

"Hey!" he burst back, offended, and Bella couldn't help but laugh back delightedly.

"You shouldn't care, you're in character mode, remember!" she teased him across the table.

"Yes, but I'm just… sticking up for my gender. My brotherhood" he nodded as he tapped his heart. "And I'm sure he's not _that_ bad?" he checked, looking directly into her eyes as he tried to sway her opinion, like he had some kind of mind control over her or something, but to no avail.

"Well" she pulled an uneasy expression, "It's hard to say anything good about him really".

He glared back, before flashing her a close-lipped grin. "Oh, thank god the drinks are here" announced Edward as the waiter arrived right on cue. Bella meanwhile could hardly contain herself, finding the entire thing extremely entertaining. Edward had been right, this first date idea was not to be missed.

"Mademoiselle. Enjoy," The waiter presented the large glass of fruit juice to Bella, and the coke with ice and a slice of lemon to Edward. "Your starter will be along in a few minutes. If you need anything else, please let me know". The male waiter informed them, before heading back towards the kitchen.

Having taken a sip from her fruit juice Bella set it down. "So I've told you my story. What about yours? Any tale's to tell?"

"Tales? Not so much, but I grew up in Philadelphia with my mom, that was pretty cool. Well, until she met this guy on a trip to New York. She's getting a house with him now, so we're moving to Forks permanently".

"Oh right, and is that a bad thing?"

"Nah, not really. I guess size wise it's pretty different, but I've made my peace with it".

Bella nodded back thoughtfully. "And this guy she met, you said she met him in New York?"

"Yeah, he was there with his daughter for a weekend break, this was like, 5 or 6 years ago".

"How time flies huh. And how was the holiday?"

"It was alright, I guess, New York's pretty cool, not that I got to see much of it though" he groaned, and Bella remembered it exactly. "Do you have any idea what its like to have to babysit a 12 year old girl?" He flashed a lazy look of displeasure before he overtly rolled his eyes, and Bella shifted awkwardly in her seat, sensing she was two seconds away from getting her butt whipped. But she busied herself with swivelling her straw in her drink; it was a distraction mechanism, put in place to prevent her from exploding. It was working so far. "I mean you should've seen her. She was this clumsy little thing, big red round cheeks and this long floppy hair. _Always_ following me around to try and win my attention; kind of pathetic really".

Bella gasped melodramatically, her mouth opening wide as she smacked both hands down onto the table and leant forward.

"_I did no such thing!"_ she hissed at him, keeping her voice to a level that wouldn't raise eyebrows or get them thrown out. Ensuring no one was looking she went on. "Excuse me for trying to be friendly. More than you could manage. Friendly for you was throwing me into the pool at night, or pulling my hair. You're lucky you didn't scar me for life!"

"Let's not be dramatic" Edward put his hands up as a calming gesture; but the curve to his lips told the world he was loving this.

"I'm not being dramatic! You actually did do those things to me!" she informed him in a huff.

"Yeah, fair enough. But you werent totally innocent yourself you know. You got your kicks in too. I had the bruises to prove it."

"Yeah well, it was self defence" she threw her hands out as she shrugged.

"Yeah. Sure, whatever. And I don't see why you're getting so flustered about it. You should feel flattered if nothing else".

"Flattered? How's that?" she asked dumbfounded.

"Well, you know what they say Bella, when a boy teases you, it means they like you" he reached over to poke her hand.

"Oh, right. Well great! I'm so sorry I didn't realise that at the time. Next time some guy throws me into the pool fully clothed, I'll remember to feel flattered by it afterwards" she forced a sarcastic grin Edward's way before scowling.

Edward couldn't help but snicker. And although mildly annoyed, Bella too found the entire conversation very humorous.

"So anyway" Bella went on to revert back to 'first date mode', as previously intended, another ploy to focus her mind and maintain some self control. "We've discussed family life, holidays" she averted her eyes as she spoke that last one, "what about education?" she asked, as if this was some kind of interview session.

"Well, high schools a distant and, somewhat exhausting memory, but I'm about to go into my 2nd year of uni soon".

"Your school was exhausting?"

"Well yeah, you see Bella, as the star student of the school, you tend to get put on a lot" he exaggerated a sigh.

"A star student!" she laughed. "_You_ were never a star student".

"Erm, excuse me but, you've never met me before, you don't know that I'm lying. First date Edward has a lot of promise".

"A lot of promise? Or a lot of _problems?" _she snapped back smartly.

"The first" he sneered at her. "So yeah, I'm at uni, in my 2nd year, studying Music and English".

"Right, well I guess _that's_ _promising_" her eyes widened as she looked at him, and he proudly nodded back. "And any plans for the future?"

"Well, providing I pass and all, I'm looking to be a teacher" he told her, taking Bella back a little. Never had she taken the time to ask Edward about his hopes and aspirations for the future. And it wasn't out of a lack of interest, it just never seemed the right time. The majority of their first few weeks 'together' they'd barely spoken enough words that could even constitute as a real conversation. Between that, the other thing, and arguing, life plans just hadn't come up. It was therefore a nice surprise to hear that Edward was a future-thinker.

"It's just a pipe dream really. We'll just have to see how it goes" he shrugged, a glimmer of insecurity peeking through.

"Nonsense! You'll be an amazing teacher. You really suit that role. I don't know why I never thought about it actually. It's perfect for you".

A small smile of appreciation curled his mouth, "Thanks" he almost blushed at her compliment. "And what about you? Do you think about the future?"

She nodded back sheepishly, shyness beginning to consume her "Yeah, all the time".

"What do you think about?"

She swallowed hard, emotion bubbling up her throat. _"You"_ she admitted softly, after a moment of hesitation. She knew it was soppy, but truthfully it was the first and only thing she ever thought about.

Edward's heart fluttered at her words; his love for her felt warm in his veins, while his gaze spread over her face, absorbing her every feature, like it was the first time they'd ever met. And in that moment he'd never felt so content with life. A month from now he would have everything he's ever wanted. Working towards something he cared about, and moving in with the girl of his dreams. Nothing meant more to Edward, than to have Bella Swan waking up beside him every morning, and falling asleep with her head on his chest. Maybe career wise he would strive to be a great teacher, he'd face knock backs, near-misses and dream jobs, but Bella would always come first. Jobs would come and go, but Bella was for life. _She was_ his life now...

…

"I had an amazing time tonight. I never knew first dates could be that fun," grinned a delighted Bella as they strolled hand in hand up the Swans driveway.

"That's because you've never been on a date with me before" he told her with a smile.

"True" she nodded as they came to a stop on the porch, turning around she leant her back against the door as she faced him. "We'll definitely have to break that habit you know. But maybe next time we'll go somewhere a little cheaper" she suggested with an awkward giggle. "Not that I didn't appreciate it but, I don't think taking out a date-loan would be such a good idea" she smirked.

"Agreed".

"Are you sure I can't pay for my half?" she asked yet again, and Edward shook his head at her persistence, they'd already been through this back at the restaurant. He'd refused her money straight off, even going as far as ripping the bill right out of her hand as she'd tried to take a look at it. And thank goodness, if she'd have seen how much it had come to, she would've had a heart attack. "I can't even imagine how many O's there were on that bill back there".

"Yeah well, stop imagining it, because there weren't any" he told her directly.

"Fine, not O's, digits then".

"Bella, its fine. This was my treat. And next time, alright, we'll go for the cheaper option. Takeaway or movie or something. Whatever you want".

"Sounds great," she smiled dreamily, as his lips neared hers for a kiss. She moaned into him as she wound her arms around his neck. It was strange but it felt like ages since they'd last shared a kiss, and this one didn't disappoint.

"So, I guess its separate bedrooms then" she spoke breathlessly as they broke apart; their foreheads were practically touching.

"Afraid so... I mean I don't know about you, but I dont really fancy getting on the wrong side of Charlie again. Lets at least leave it a few more days" he smirked lightly.

"Alright" she beamed back. "Or, we could just not go to bed, and stay out here all night" she suggested brightly, excited by the prospect of doing an all-nighter with Edward beneath the stars.

He kissed her forehead as he smiled. "I don't think so. You need your sleep, and so do I. I need at least 6 hours to look this good. Seriously, you'd be horrified otherwise".

"I don't believe you" she grinned, her cheeks blushing.

"Believe it Bella". He kissed her lips once more before pulling his key out. "After you" he waved her in as he opened the door, and although reluctant, her lips starting to pout at the thought of another night in her bed alone, she headed inside.

**A/N: Hope that was ok. I know it was mostly dialogue and may not have flowed in certain places, but it kind of called for some light banter. The next chapter might be the last :S I haven't decided though. There are still a couple of scenes I want to include. So we'll see how I go with the next chapter. I haven't started it yet though, so it might be awhile :(**

**Please stay tuned! And don't forget my other fic (I've got a few solid chapters written down for that one) and things are finally about to take action ;)**


	22. Chapter 21

**Hiii =] Sorry again for the wait. Once again I struggled a little with this chapter =S I think by the end of it, you'll see why =P**

**Thanks again for the comments! You always make me smile… another reason why I really don't want this fic to end lol. I love all the **_**love **_**xP**

**Ok, so to answer a couple of your questions – Yes Bella and Edward are going to the same Uni in September! If you remember they discussed the idea of living together a few chapters back! Its all very exciting … We'll venture into the world of University life in the following chapter =D**

**Also, I may be able to squeeze a couple more chapters out of this fic. Truth is I don't want to drag it out too long as I fear it may ruin it :S Also I'm going away on the 18****th**** and really wanted it finished by then =S (Probably wont happen) But we shall see. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 21:**

Waking up to the sound of her phone vibrating, Bella was forced to drag her sleepy lump of a body out of bed at an ungodly hour. Strictly ordered to go around to Alice's where some major therapy was required. According to the text it was supposedly 'a matter of life and death, not meaning to sound overly dramatic or anything'.

On her way out she grabbed a carry-out drink container (one of the few items left in the kitchen) and filled it with coffee, before she left a note for her family informing them of her whereabouts. There was no saying how long she would be, but by the melodramatic tone of Alice's text, Bella had a feeling this wouldn't take ten minutes…

"You. Are. My. Nemesis!" a distraught Alice chastised, still wearing her pale pink Pooh Bear pyjamas as she stood before her large walk in wardrobe disapprovingly. She looked so small standing in front of it, like it could swallow her whole at any minute; not that she'd probably mind right now, it would save her the drama of having to choose an outfit.

_"So many clothes, so many choices, what to do"_ she muttered, shaking her head helplessly as she paced back and forth her bedroom in a panic. And with Bella's dry and heavy eyes, Alice was starting to look more like a blurry figment than an actual person. Grabbing her coffee container from off the side, Bella forced another gulp down her throat. Surely this coffee would kick in soon?

"What do you think Bella?" she spun around to face her bleary-eyed best friend; hoping for some answers. "Should I go casual or dress-up? I mean, I don't want to look like I just rolled out of bed, but I also don't want to look like I've tried too hard. How does one draw the line?" her voice was starting to whine; characteristic of her current mental state.

"I don't know, maybe you could mix and match, go smart casual, wear jeans but add a little jewellery. I'm sure whatever you come up with will be great. Honestly, I don't think he'd care what you wore, he really just wants to see you Alice".

"_Yeah, maybe"_ mumbled an unconvinced Alice. It had been a fair few years since Bella had witnessed Alice in such a frenzy. Usually Alice was the confident, level-headed one. But today she had done quite the one eighty.

As predicted and much to Bella's delight, Alice _had_ text Jasper that day, supposedly just to thank him, but the arranged date scheduled for precisely 2 hours and 25 minutes from now suggested otherwise. She was to meet him in the heart of Forks City. In Starbucks to be exact, providing Jasper could find it of course. He'd never actually ventured much further than his country-side vicinity, so finding his way into the City centre would no doubt prove a challenge for him. But considering his boyish excitement over giving his details to Bella, who as promised gave them to Alice; it seemed the drive across town was something Jasper was up for.

"What if we don't know what to say to each other?" she found another reason to panic. "I mean, he is a porter, and I know nothing of the porter industry".

Bella's brow quirked, "Well I don't think it's so much an industry Alice, more of an unfortunate family hand-me-down. And I'm pretty sure he wanted to go to University this fall".

"Oh ok, good, so Uni is a possible conversation point, but what else? He's lived on a farm his entire life, what if he doesn't know stuff?"

"He's not an alien Alice" Bella felt compelled to remind her.

"But we don't even know each other!" implored Alice; "were from completely different worlds. What if we can't hold a conversation for longer than 5 minutes and it turns all tense and awkward? What will I do then?"

"Alice, listen to me" Bella hopped off the bed to stand in front of her friend, clasping Alice's sweaty hands within her own. "I fell in love with my step brother, ok? You can do this" she told her.

"Right, yeah, good point. Nothing could be as bad as that, right?" she rambled, and Bella knew not to take offence, in fact she found Alice's blabbering's rather adorable; amusingly adorable. "Pheuw" Alice breathed a sigh of relief, "I feel better now. That really puts things into perspective".

"Well, I'm glad I could help" Bella flashed a broad closed-lipped grin Alice's way, "Look why don't you go jump in the shower, and I'll have a look in your closet for some possible clothing options."

"Yeah, thanks. That'd be great. Oh but nothing pink, or frilly" she lingered at the doorway before leaving, "and no low cut string tops. Maybe something black would do best, like the lacy one with the capped sleeves?" suggested Alice as she went back towards her wardrobe and fumbled around for the outfit of her choice.

"Ok, so apparently you don't need my help after all" Bella stated with an amused smile, retreating back to the bed where she sat down.

"Sorry, I'm hopeless aren't I?" laughed Alice shamefully, moving from the depths of her wardrobe with her hand on her head. "I do really appreciate you coming over though. I know it's kind of early".

"No, it's fine. Whatever you need" insisted Bella. "You were there during my guy troubles, and I'll always be here for yours". Despite the early morning wakeup call, the drowsiness was thankfully starting to wear off, the coffee helped considerably, while the fact that she was still on a high from last night also did wonders for Bella's mood. The evening had turned into the dream date for Bella, and much to Bella's delight, it hadn't ended once they'd kissed goodnight. Edward had of course honoured his promise to Charlie by no longer sneaking around and remaining in his room all night; however that didn't rule out other forms of bed time interaction. Even if they couldn't physically be with each other, they found other ways to connect, that being by the use of mobile phone.

They'd stayed up for hours in their rooms, sending each other messages over the phone via Bluetooth. And it wasn't until Bella had momentarily fallen to sleep, another message received jolting her out of her slumber, that she then realised how late it was.

"Thanks" smiled an appreciative Alice; putting her pre-date nerves on hold for a minute or two to check in with the outside world. "How is everything at home anyway? With Edward and your dad I mean?" she folded a leg beneath her as she took a seat beside her friend on the bed.

"Pretty good actually; we kind of had a break-through this week" Bella's eyes lit up. "For the first time ever we actually talked, like a proper grown up talk you know, about life and our hopes and concerns for the future. It felt really good, like Charlie was actually in the room with me, really listening to what I was saying. I no longer felt like a misbehaving child" she reflected aloud, now able to smirk about it. "It was like he actually acknowledged that I'd grown up. I'm not that naïve little girl anymore, even if he still wishes I was" Bella turned thoughtful as she reminisced. "I just wish that he'd work things out with Edward. I mean I understand that it's probably weird for Charlie, he saw Edward as the son he never had, but, it's not like Edwards done anything wrong. He shouldn't be punished for falling in love with me," she sighed, and her light tone started to diminish. "All Edward needs right now is a good father figure, someone he feels he can talk to and connect with, especially being around girls his entire life, he really needs this".

Alice placed a comforting hand to her best friend's knee. "I'm sure in the long run it'll all work out Bella, just give them time. Maybe in a few weeks, it'll seem like nothing even happened," Alice offered; sympathetic to Bella's concern.

"Yeah, I hope so…" Bella's face gradually softened and a small smile lifted her face. "Anyway, enough about me, go get showered! You're down to 2 hours 15 minutes!" Bella teased her, and just like that those wide and panicked eyes of Alice's promptly returned.

…

"Well, that's the last box" confirmed Charlie, half way bent over as he placed the square heavy object down onto the floor. He made a light agonized moaning sound as he stretched back upright, his body not as limber as it used to be.

"Good work guys!" he called out from where he stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up towards the upstairs landing, where Edward gave him the thumbs up, before he headed into one of the back bedrooms.

"_Now just to unpack everything again"_ uttered Charlie; his shoulders lifting and then slumping as he exhaled a heavy breath. And although the space currently consisted of a countless number of packing boxes, a few cupboards which at present, resembled nothing more than four white lumps of bubble wrap, and small polystyrene balls which had overflowed from the boxes and sprawled across the lino flooring, their new home was slowly but surely starting to take form.

"Dad?" Bella entered the house with caution, stepping over boxes and shimmying past packing crates which had been left everywhere and anywhere in the hallway, all filled to the brim with ornaments, utensils and whatever else Charlie had accumulated over the past 18 plus years. With care Bella made her way across the obstacle course. _"Wow, it looks like a bomb's hit this place"_ she muttered to herself upon entering.

"Oh, Bellz, you've decided to grace us with your presence at last! Great timing as well, we just finished moving everything. Shame you missed out" there was a tinge of amused sarcasm in Charlie's voice as he greeted her.

"You already finished?" she gave a meek look of interest.

"Yeah, and you're timings uncanny" he pointed out, presuming she had only left to get out of helping.

"Come on Dad, you make it sound like I planned this. Believe me, I didn't. Alice needed my reassurance, she's meeting Jasper today, you know that porter from the wedding?"

"Oh yeah, how could I forget him" Charlie gave his daughter a knowing look. How could he forget the guy he'd continually tried to set up with his daughter during his denial phase? Answer – he couldn't.

"Yeah... right" her eyes sharpened a little as she turned away, fiddling with the bubble wrap. "Well anyway, it's their first official date today, and she was sort of in a state over it. You should've seen her, her voice was reaching levels only dolphins could hear, her hair was up at all angles and I'm pretty sure her head was about to explode. But, thanks to me, she's now only… mildly jittery" she told him as she popped a couple of the tiny air-filled domes between her fingertips.

"Wow. Sound's like she really needed you over there".

"Well like I said, I wouldn't have left if it wasn't essential, for her sanity if nothing else" Bella then placed the bubble wrap back where she'd found it, her thoughts now elsewhere as she heard movement from up the stairs.

"Well I guess that's what best friends are for" relayed Charlie as he transferred some boxes from the living room into the soon-to-be kitchen area.

"Yeah, so is Edward about?" she called over to him, not moving from the small section of empty flooring she'd chosen to stand on.

"Yeah, I think he's sorting out the bedrooms". Bella didn't need to be told twice, not when it referred to her boyfriend's whereabouts anyway. She gave a nod to her father and turned towards the staircase, stepping over the various obstacles in her way before she made it onto the landing. She found Edward in the bedroom located closest to the staircase, and found butterflies fluttered her stomach as soon as his figure came into awareness. She hoped that feeling would never die.

"Hey hard worker" she peered around the doorframe to Edward who had his back to her.

"Oh, hi slacker" he grinned back on seeing his girlfriend for the first time since they'd parted ways the previous night.

Bella groaned at his assumption. "Not you too!" she laughed. "I just had this from dad… I'm telling you, shorthand version - her head was practically spinning around on her shoulders, I've never seen her so nervous. I guess first dates really are unknown territory, well, unless you're _us_ of course" she smiled, and Edward gave her the all knowing head bob. "But I am sorry I wasn't here to help, if I could've split myself in two, I would've done" she assured him.

He grinned back at her, glad to have her company. Finally rebuilding cupboards seemed that much more appealing now. "That's alright, as it turns out, we got things done a lot quicker without you here" he lightly teased her, and Bella frowned at that; slightly offended. "Some people just get in the way I guess" he added, only to have a pillow tossed his way, it hit him on the back of the head when he wasn't looking, catching him by surprise.

"Ow" he laughed, stupefied, as he rubbed his head; his body recoiling at the impact.

"That was harsh" she informed him, arms folded across her chest.

"Yeah, and so was that" he angled back to face her, still rubbing the wounded spot. "Truth hurts, doesn't it Bella?"

"Well it hurts a lot less now" she grinned, feeling pleased with herself.

He exaggerated a smile her way before turning back to the cupboard he was re-building. Picking up a tiny screw and a hammer, he whacked it into place. "You know, if you stand there watching me much longer, I might have to start charging you" he told her; whilst he scrutinized the screw he'd just embedded into the wood.

"Well you do provide a fascinating show" she humoured him, and in return his head swung round, his eyes trailing up and down her body for a moment before resting on her face. "What's up?"

"Nothing really" she shrugged, loitering around the entrance.

"No you want to say something" he pressed her, sensing her hesitance.

"Well … I just wanted to thank you again really, for last night".

"Bella" he sighed with a smile, "you don't have to keep thanking me. It wasn't a chore you know" he said as he stood up, eyebrows raised.

"I know, I just …" she finally went over to him. "You were right. The time we've spent together has been great, obviously. But, we haven't actually spent quality one on one conversational time together" he played with the strands of her hair as she stood before him. "Not like we did last night anyway, not in public. I just wanted to say, that I loved every second of it" he fanned the hair away from her neck, spreading it down her back, before he ran his hands down the sides of her arms. "I might've loved it more if you'd let me pay my half though, but, I guess you can't have everything" they clasped their hands together, and Bella knew full well they'd reached a full gone conclusion with that one.

"No, you can't" he then pecked her on the lips. "Well, not unless you're me, who does have everything" he smirked back swinging their hands together.

"So you feel like giving me a hand?"

"Two if you want?" she grinned. "Where do you want me?" she asked, and if Bella Swan would have said that to him 3 months ago, she probably would've had a sexually promiscuous connotation thrown her way, but instead, Edward simply smiled back at her. It was then that Edward realised just how much he'd grown; as an individual and as a boyfriend. "You can help me with this" he signalled to the cupboard he was assembling. "Keep your hand there for me, hold it tight". Bella did as she was told, and earned another kiss from it in the process.

"This rooms pretty nice huh" Bella took a precise glance around, managing to peer out the window and down the immaculately well kept street whilst maintaining pressure on the wooden board. It was nothing like the neighbourhood she'd grown up in. And where were all the people? Was there even life down there at all?

"Yeah, it's the biggest one of the two. You want to toss a coin to see who gets it?" Edward suggested with humour in his eye. "A wrestling match maybe? A naked one that is, clothes would just get in the way; they're unethical restrictions if you think about it, and I'd like things to be fair between us".

"Sounds like you've thought that one through".

"Long and hard Bella, long and hard". Bella chuckled to herself at his logic; nothing had changed really, no matter how much Edward had grown up as a man, his thoughts remained the same. Whether it was library sex, truck sex or naked wrestling sex, there were some things you just couldn't shut off. And Bella honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

"I guess it doesn't really matter though, I mean it's not like either of us will even be here much longer" Edward added somewhat absentmindedly, as he grabbed his tools off the floor.

"Excuse me?" asked an unknowing Charlie, as he now stood in the doorway with his wife. "And why exactly wouldn't you be here?"

Bella jumped in shock at her father's voice, accidently releasing the wooden side panel she was supposed to be holding onto. It fell to the floor with a crash, scarcely missing her feet. But that wasn't her concern, what bothered her most was how long her father had been standing there. She only hoped he hadn't heard the naked wrestling match comment. By the look on Charlie's face though, that was the least of her worries.

"What's going on Bellz?" Charlie prodded her as silence filled the room.

Simultaneously, they turned to face their respective parents. "Look, we were going to tell you, but we just thought that with all the chaos of the house and everything, we should wait" she started cautiously.

"Tell us what?" prompted Emse'.

"Well, you know how I'd always planned to live on campus when I went to Uni" she reminded her father, "but back when I decided that, I never thought I'd be in a serious relationship" she glanced a look at Edward, who looked awfully mortified at being busted yet again, although he tried to hide it. "Anyway, I spoke to the accommodation people the other day, and they've agreed to let us have a shared room. Which means … we'll both be moving out".

As predicted Charlie's face contorted, his brow so taut across his eyes it almost became one long mono-brow, he didn't appear mad though, he looked very much like a person who was calculating a major subtraction in his head. "Look we know it's a big step, and we probably should've consulted you sooner" Edward added, putting a hand to Bella's back supportively. "But, it's such a great opportunity for us. Uni would be right on our doorstep and we'd be living in a fully furnished, affordable place".

"Yeah, and if you think about it, it'll get us out of your hair. You'll have the house to yourselves for once, you'll get the space you've always wanted" Bella went on; trying to push the more positive aspects their parents way. It was beneficial for all really. "And its not like we'll be gone forever, we'll be back over the holidays and you'll be wishing we'd stayed away" Bella tried to lighten the mood, but to no avail. "Dad? I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I hope you're not upset?"

A burst of air surged from Charlie's mouth. "I'm not upset Bellz, or angry. If anything, well we probably should've seen this coming" admitted Charlie, as he glanced a look at his wife. She gave him an encouraging smile back, urging him on. "I think, that if it's something you both want to do, then you should go for it" he told them, despite his clenching hands. "You're right; it's a good opportunity for you both. And as long as it doesn't disrupt your studies" he warned them, "then I can't see a problem with it".

"That's great," Bella rushed forward, embracing her father in a hug. "Thanks dad" she squeezed him tight; thankful he'd taken it so well.

"Besides, I was two seconds away from laying down the new house rules anyway" he said as they pulled away, but Charlie kept an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "I guess it gets me out of that one". And Bella smiled through closed eyes, as she hugged at her fathers waist.

"Lunch is on the table anyway, you guys come down whenever you're ready" Esme' informed her family, before silently walking away.

"You know what mom, I never get tired of hearing you say that" Edward grinned back, dropping his tools and following them out.

…

Sitting outside on the garden decking Edward felt a presence approach him from behind. A moment later his step father took a seat beside him, and by the look of his rigid posture, this wasn't a loving father to son encounter; it was his girlfriends overly protective father laying down the law.

"I think I know what's coming Charlie" noted Edward, half way through his sandwich.

"Yeah, I think you do. And truthfully, I know that I probably don't even have to say this to you. But, Bella is my daughter, so I'm going to say it anyway. If you hurt her, or lead her astray in any way, well, you know how that conversation goes…"

Edward nodded robotically, helplessly, silently wondering what on earth he would have to do, to regain Charlie's reverence. "I don't know what you must think of me Charlie, I guess I really did lose all of your respect for me when we lied to you. I hope some day I'll get that back" he spoke forward, before turning to face his step father, looking him in the eye. "But I promise you now, I'm not going to hurt her, having Bella in my life means more to me than anything else in the world. I'd die before I let anything hurt her ... I hear what you're saying though, and it's good that you're so protective of her. I guess being her only blood parent, it's understandable."

"Bella's been the centre of my entire life for the last 18 years. She was the reason I didn't sink into a pit of depression when her mother left me. I just want her to be happy, safe. I never want her to feel the pain and heartbreak that I felt" admitted Charlie.

"Yeah well that makes two of us".

"And" Charlie paused, a thoughtful line across his forehead. "You didn't lose my respect for you Edward. You just let me down, there's a difference" he informed him, and hope surged through Edwards veins.

"Hey there you are" Bella appeared at the conservatory French doors, not realising until afterwards that she'd probably interrupted something serious, but Charlie welcomed her out anyway. "Oh, sorry, I can come back?"

"Don't be silly Bellz, come on out" Charlie urged her into the garden. "I'm going to go find your mother…" he then turned to Edward before standing up and heading inside, on the way giving his daughter a light kiss on her forehead as he went. "Get this unpacking started".

As Charlie left Bella took the seat beside her boyfriend. "Is everything alright?" asked Bella following her father's departure; immediately concerned by their one on one discussion.

"Yeah" Edwards face softened out, his hand finding its way onto her knee, "it couldn't be better".

**A/N: Ok, so that was another semi-boring chapter =/ Haha! Well, kind of. I just really wanted to get through it. It needed to be done. I really don't want to leave anything out! And you're in luck! This fic still has life left in it! In the form of a chapter anyway, maybe two at most. The next chapter should be a little less 2ndary characters, and a little more B/E related =] Thanks for reading :)**


	23. Chapter 22

**Hey! So I wasn't supposed to post this yet =/ I meant to add loads more to this chapter and give it a completely different ending.. I guess I'll just have to add that into the following chapter.**

**I'm posting this now because I'm going on holiday tomorrow and won't be back until a week on Thursday. I therefore thought I'd be generous and post what I'd written now rather than leaving it 2 weeks and then posting a ridiculously loooong chapter. Instead I'm just splitting it into 2. You might prefer that actually, it makes the fic longer and less rushed :)**

**Anyhoo, thanks for reading and I hope you like…**

**Chapter 22:**

**Early September **

"I think I'm going to have to give you a lesson in light packing", Edward called to Bella in a moan as he struggled with two heavy and un-cooperative suitcases, a medium sized material brown one and a large plastic red one, the latter being Bella's of course, which was almost twice the magnitude of Edwards. A rucksack was also swung over his shoulder, only adding to the strain on his back and neck. The combined weight inhibiting his pace and movement; always a stride and a half behind his girlfriend, who marched on up ahead, unscathed and carefree; the small lightweight bag on her back producing very little restriction against her delicate frame.

"But I did pack light" she informed him with a blasé shrug, unknowing to Edwards internal torture, as she came to a stop on the spot. "I didn't bring half the stuff I was going too".

"Well then I think your definition of 'Light' must be different to mine. _This_ feels like you've packed boulders in here" he told her, coming to a halt and silently revelling in the chance to take a much needed break. "Unless…" his eyes narrowed inquisitively.

"Unless what?"

"You didn't stuff your dad in here did you?" he cocked an eyebrow as he looked at her.

"Nope, Charlie's not in there, sorry if that disappoints you" she grinned delightedly as she carried onwards. Edward meanwhile snickered, shaking his head as he reluctantly yanked on the two suitcases; the jaunt wasn't over yet.

"How much further is it?" he asked, growing more exhausted by the second, his arms felt as heavy and as numb as two house bricks.

"Just around the corner. Is it really that heavy?"

"Well I have carried it up 3 flights of stairs, in case you forgot" he reminded her, forcing back a scowl.

"I thought you liked the exercise?"

He rolled his eyes; even the Hulk would find this taxing. "Sure, exercise is good. Bursting a blood vessel probably isn't".

She looked back at him, eyebrows raised as she gave him a long laboured glance; presuming he was over exaggerating.

"Whatever, all I'm saying is, the next time you say 'let's just take the stairs instead of the elevator', you're on your own" he told her mimicking her voice, and she nodded back half-heartedly, more concerned with counting up the door numbers with each one they passed by.

"42… 44…46! This is the one!" she beamed excitedly, sliding the key into the lock and turning the handle. Relief flooded through Edwards veins. Finally he had an appreciation for the Porters of this world, what an underappreciated profession.

"Home sweet home!" she cheered as they burst inside, and her eyes studied the room with inspection. Wardrobes - check, bathroom - check, bed - check, another bed - che… _"What the…?"_ she muttered as she walked inside, examining the expanse of the beds, both obviously single in size. "Separate beds? You've got to be kidding me!" she announced distraught.

"Oh, well that's just great isnt it, and here was me worrying we'd have to share a bed" drawled a sarcastic Edward, "I guess the universe really does want us apart". He added half-jokingly, and she flashed him an unimpressed sideways glare in return.

"Kidding" he emphasised with raised eyebrows, before wheeling the cases into the room and plonking them near the doorway. As he released the handles he shook his hands and arms, they throbbed and trembled from the constant muscle pressure.

"Maybe they ran out of double beds. We did leave it until the last minute" Edward proposed, closing the door behind him.

"No, they specifically told me over the phone that they had rooms to spare, this is just idiots unable to do their jobs properly" Bella chastised through a scowl, recklessly tossing her bag onto the floor in her anger.

"Ok, well don't take it out on the room" there was a nervous laughter to Edward's voice, as he picked up her bag and placed it with the others. "So maybe this isn't the one we asked for" he went up behind her, running his hands up and down his girlfriends arms, "but, it's still clean and spacious, it'll do fine. We'll deal with it".

After much thought, Bella gave one resolute nod back, taking on the persona of a business woman. "You're right, we'll just go back down there and demand for the room we asked for!" she said determinedly, clearly ignoring Edwards intention.

"I'm sorry?" he smiled, confused.

"Grab your stuff, we'll get going" she instructed him, as she went for her bag near the doorway. But Edward wasn't moving an inch.

"What are you kidding me?" he laughed, turning on his heel in bewilderment. "Hang on a sec" he halted her movements. "I just hauled _that lot_ up god knows how many staircases, my arms about ready to drop off as it is. Are you trying to kill me?" he questioned her, almost sincerely.

"Of course not" she smiled perplexed, finding his argument nonsensical, "but if we don't go now, it'll be too late otherwise" she proceeded to grab her bag, swinging it over her shoulder, ready for the off.

"Right well, have fun wheeling them back by yourself, because I'm certainly not going to do it" Edward begrudgingly walked over to the window, peering down at the University Campus; never having seen a birds eye view of it before.

"You're not even going to help me?" she asked disbelievingly; ambivalence across her face.

"Nope" he gave one uncaring shoulder roll.

"Edward?" she prompted him.

"What? I'm sorry, but I'm not doing it" he turned to face her, "I'm exhausted Bella, it's been such a long day, all I want to do is lie down and take a break".

"But this isn't even the room we asked for!" she told him. "It could be someone else's for all we know".

He shrugged once again, seemingly indifferent about it, "Well we've got the room keys haven't we?"

"So?"

"So that makes it our room" he concluded.

She huffed in irritation, unable to grasp Edward's lack of care and interest. "But its separate beds!" she explained to him, as if he even needed reminding of that fact a second time.

"Look" he ran an impatient hand through his hair; hours of packing, followed by a lengthily car drive, paper work and what felt like a lifetime of stairs, a rotten old shed to Edward would seem satisfactory, providing it had a toilet and the space to lie down in. "I know it's not ideal, far from it in fact, but it'll do. We can make it work" he assured her.

"_Riiight"_ she drew out, her smile mocking and disbelieving. "And how exactly are we going to make this work Edward?" she waved her arms to the two single beds, the cupboards purposefully placed in the middle of the room to separate the two sides.

"Well, I don't know. You're not exactly large and in charge are you? We can squish onto one" he suggested.

"Squish?" she turned her face up; imagining sardines in a tin.

"Well, yeah, I can't see a problem with it." He shrugged, trying to lighten the mood a little. "Just think of the possibilities, the lack of space means we'll have to snuggle every night! Not that you even need another excuse to get close to me" he smirked teasingly, and she rolled her eyes back at him, pulling the bag back off her shoulder and placing it onto the floor.

"Oh! _And_" he emphasised, "when we've had an argument, _not unlike the one were having now"_ he all-but muttered shiftily, "We can retreat to separate beds. It's actually perfect if you think about it" he smirked back at her; now finding the idea of two beds much more sufficient than just the one. But sadly it did nothing to relieve her temper.

"Yeah well, unless were planning on arguing every single night, this could get really inconvenient" she folded her arms across her chest like a stroppy teen.

"Inconvenient?" he pulled back at her choice of words. "For who exactly? Is it inconvenient to sleep with me?" he questioned her; feeling offended.

"You know I didn't mean that" Bella told him directly.

"Then what's the problem, why do you care so much?"

"I just do!" she blared back at him. "And it wouldn't hurt for you to show a little care as well".

"Yeah well, I'm sorry but I don't see the point. And truthfully, I suggest you loosen your belt a little, cause nothings going to change tonight".

Bella's face grew red with fury, "Excuse me?"

"Look, let's just leave it now shall we," Edward tried to brush it off, sensing he'd said the wrong thing. Their history of arguing over irrelevant things was apparently not so dead and buried after all.

"No I won't leave it. You're saying I'm uptight" she challenged him with eyes of thunder.

"No, I'm not saying that, I'm just saying that this is Uni life, and sometimes you just have to learn to accept it".

Folding her arms dismissively she angled herself away from him. _"I only want what I asked for" _she muttered through gritted teeth.

"Fair enough, I understand that, but unfortunately it's not going to happen. Not tonight anyway" he told her before sighing. "Why are we even fighting over this? Who cares about the beds, I'd honestly sleep in a tent every night, if it meant we could be together. I don't care where I sleep, or what I sleep on. As long as were together, does any of that really matter?" he attempted damage control, posing the question to her, whilst he silently wondered how this day had turned out quite so badly. The only answer Edward received however was a soft snivel, and immediately he regretted letting things get so out of hand.

"Look I'm sorry" Edward dragged his feet towards her, standing before her and cupping her cheeks. He exhaled loudly as his steady vision stared into her glassy eyes. "I didn't mean to upset you".

"You didn't" she wiped away her seeping tears. "It's been a long day. I'm just tired… I get irrational when I'm tired".

He smiled lightly, padding her tears with the bottom surface of his thumb. "You're not being irrational Bella; you just wanted it to be perfect. You had this image in your head of what our first place would be like, and understandably, it's let you down... But you've forgotten one thing" he told her. "This place is _ours_ Bella; it's yours and its mine. Something we share together. And _that's_ what makes it perfect" he spoke with so much emotion, and she smiled at him through her tears; a small nod of her head to concur. Leaning over she huddled into his chest, feeling as he encircled her frame within the security blanket of his arms.

He kissed her shoulder, her temple and ran a hand through her hair, before he scooped her up, walking her over towards the bed where Edward placed her down onto one side.

"Look, we can both fit on here easy" he climbed over her, lying down beside his girlfriend. Demonstrating the beds ability.

"Yeah I guess …"she agreed thoughtfully. "And if we fall out?" she turned her head towards him, a hint of amusement in her heavy-eyes.

"Well, like I said, that's where the second bed comes into it" he replied smartly, a grin on his face.

"No, not _that"_ she laughed with limited enthusiasm. _"_I meant what if we fall _out of the bed_".

"Oh" he chuckled back, "Well, I don't know. What's the odd bruise here and there?" he smirked, shifting onto his side as he propped up his head with his hand.

She flashed him a look of unease, but sensed he was joking. "We won't fall out" he smiled, his eyes radiating warmth as he clasped onto her hand, interlocking her delicate fingers with his own. "I'll make sure of it. And anyway, if it gets a little tight, I'm totally ok with you using me as a human mattress".

Her lips quirked at that. "You might not be saying that after a week of back pain" she advised him as she eyed him to her right.

"It would be worth it, believe me" he smiled at her reassuringly, before he returned to his previous position, resting his back on the bed as his eyes found the ceiling above.

…

"_Ahh,_ nothing like a long steamy shower to relieve some tension" said Edward as he shut off the water and opened the cubicle door.

"Yeah well you do realise all our stuffs still packed away in the case" she reminded him, "Towels, underwear, pyjamas".

"Oh yeah, didn't think of that".

Bella shivered as they stood dripping wet in the bathroom, using her arms to wrap around her she did her best to preserve some warmth.

"Hang on" he told her, as he tiptoed his way out of the bathroom and across the bedroom floor.

"What are you doing?" she called to him from where she lingered behind the door, using the door frame to conceal her current state of undress.

"Just wait there" he instructed her, and she watched with glee, her cheeks glowing red, as Edward's naked form pattered across the carpet.

"Fine, but close the curtains while you're over there. God knows what people will think if they see you. You know making friends here is kind of a big deal for me" she called to him. "And I know they say first impressions aren't everything, but in this case, let's not risk that".

Edward craned his head to look back at her. "Was that an insult?" he asked as he hastily pulled the curtains across, flicking on the light switch to illuminate the room.

"Only if you take it to be. It was more of a general statement really" replied Bella as he grabbed the bed sheet from off the 2nd bed, before retracing his steps back into the bathroom.

"Here we go" he said as he firstly wrapped it around his shoulders before pulling Bella close to his chest, where he encircled the remainder of the bed sheet around her trembling body.

"I don't think this was meant to be used as a bath towel" Bella noted as she looked up at him.

"Well I wont tell if you won't" he smiled, before his face softened out, his head shifting to an angle to kiss her lips.

"_I'm sorry for before"_ she said to him in a hushed whisper, mere moments after their kiss.

"I'm sorry too".

Some time later they made their way towards the bed, "You warm the bed, I'll grab the pyjamas" she told him as she made her way over towards the suitcases.

"Pyjamas?" his turned his face up. "Bella, please" he shook his head with a smile; eyes closed. And by the look of his face, pyjamas were the last thing Edward was concerned about.

"You don't want your pyjamas?" she rose slowly from where she'd crouched beside the case.

"Well its not that I don't want them, just…"

"What?"

"Well let me put it this way, would you seriously cover up your Rolls-Royce if you had one?" his eyebrows rose smartly, and Bella gave a close-lipped smile at the cheekiness of his metaphor.

"Rolls Royce huh? That's mighty bold of you" she told him as they shuffled into bed.

"Well, I like to be bold" he commented, a glint in his eye. He accentuated a sigh as she let her weight rest on top of him. His hands creeping down to the small of her back.

"Don't get any ideas, I'm sleeping" Bella warned him as she laid her head on his chest.

"I didn't say a thing" he smirked back in a husky voice, his fingertips circling across her skin in the most tantalizing of motions.

It took every degree of self control Bella had not to surrender to him, right then and there, and if history was anything to go by, she may as well have given up before she'd even started. But instead she played her own little game, returning the gesture by shifting her weight on him every so often, her leg slotting down between the gap of his legs; anything to ensure she got a reaction out of him. Which she did.

A moment later Edward snickered. "Yeah, you really seem like you're sleeping by the way you're squirming around all over me. It feels really convincing Bella" he pointed out through a smirk.

"What?" she enquired innocently. "I'm not squirming, I'm just trying to get comfortable" she moved again, knowing it would drive him crazy; she could feel it in fact; the bulge increasing into a mini mountain which pressed against her lower stomach. "If you're fine with being my human mattress, then you'll have to put up with my fidgeting" she played along, enjoying her game. "Maybe next time you should just give over to the pyjamas. Self restraint can be hard at times, and you do seem easily excitable" a devious smile twitched her lips.

Without another word Edward grasped her sides, shifting them both over, and in one swift action Bella was smack on her backside looking up. She gasped at the sudden movement, surprised to see Edward now hovering above her.

He grinned down at her, her cheeks now blazing in full bloom, pleased he'd caught her off guard.

"Now let's see who has better self control, shall we?" he teased, planting a passionate kiss onto her lips before she could retaliate.

Although she strove to hold onto that ounce of wavering self control, Edward's power over her was undeniable, and Bella was gone within the blink of an eye. Completely giving over to him, as she grappled with her underwear between their kisses. She managed to move them down to her thighs, and as her hand pressed into his lower back, her legs spreading apart, he smiled into her lips. Success!

"I thought you were sleeping" he reminded her after pulling away. "I'm inclined to believe you were lying to me".

"Guilty as charged" she told him breathlessly; achingly.

"I figured as much" he noted, kissing the area between her breasts. And the more he did, the fiercer her passion for him grew, surging through her body; nerve endings tingling in torment.

"Must be a pain in the ass being right all the time".

"And exceedingly handsome" he nodded, exaggerating a sigh, "I guess some of us have all the luck".

"Yeah, and some of us don't get any" she told him pointedly, "Care to be of service?" she added, running her foot along his lower leg seductively.

Edward didn't fail to comply. Slotting into her like a hand to a silk glove. She sighed, her eyes fluttering shut at the heightened sensation. "_God I missed this_".

"_Not as much as I did"_ Edward mumbled into her neck, his lips peppering gradual kisses over her skin. They didn't talk after that; they just enjoyed the exploration of each others bodies, revelling in the fact that for once they weren't 'breaking the rules'.

**A/N: Ok, so there we go. A little rushed I know, but I had to give you something! **

**As of today NSA and COL will be on temporary hiatus for a little while! I hope the break will do me good, especially with COL anyway – I really need to get my muses flowing with that one again! Thanks for reading/commenting! You're all amazing! See you soon =] xxx **


	24. Chapter 23

**Hey everyone! It's been awhile huh! Had a wonderful holiday with my family – didn't want to come back lol. I'm really sorry to have left it this long, it took me awhile to sink back into it if I'm honest.**

**Thanks for all your amazing comments/alerts/favourites. You overwhelm me =]**

**I would also like to give a little shout out to twi-ficpromotions! It's a fantastic website where Twilight related FanFictions are reviewed and promoted. A lovely review has recently been left for No Strings Attached, which really made my day!**

**Thanks to AllyinPerth! For taking the time out to review; it definitely gave me the enthusiasm and drive to continue!**

**Make sure you take a look! I've found loads of great fics on there which I'm currently reading!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)**

Chapter 23:

"Let me tell you this, I won't stand for tardiness in my lecture theatre, punctuality is the key! If you don't want to learn, the doors that way, leave now, save face, before I get my very capable T.A's to throw you out" he seemed to gain great pleasure in saying that, with that devious twinkle to his eye. One wondered how he could even get away with it, but alas he did. "Believe me when I say this, I mean _every word_ I say; if you dont like it, well..." the lecturer gave a rather uncaring shrug, his stern voice booming across the theatre, stunning every student into frozen stupor-like statues. Nobody dared move an inch during his speech, out of pure fear of being publicly humiliated... or worse.

On a good day, students were allowed to call said lecturer 'Mike', on a bad day (not unlike today it seemed), it was Mr Donahue, that's if they even dared to go near him of course.

Bella swallowed hard, the lump in her throat like a thick hardened chunk of clotted cream, wondering why on earth she'd chosen this elective, 'Theology and Religious Studies'; that said it all really! And who needed extra points anyway? Surely nothing was worth this kind of torture.

"And on that note, we'll end it there. For those of you strong enough to return, I'll see you tomorrow, 9am, bright and early! We'll have fun this year, put the work in and you shall get rewarded". And with that, he was gone, leaving nothing but a blanket of pale white faces.

At one point not a single breath could be heard across the room, a second later as the coast became clear, the entire student collective bustled their way out of the theatre. Not a single person dared hesitate as they headed for freedom; an entire hour of psycho Donahue's implacable preaching leaving many of them contemplating their educational/and or career choice.

Bursting out of the door one after the other, Bella breathed in the fresh autumn air, the confines of that lecture theatre had had her suffocated; University was supposed to be fun, but no fun came from that. She made a pact with herself, to by no means set foot in that lecture theatre ever again, not unless her life depended on it... maybe not even then.

Standing out of the way near the wall, Bella placed her bag at her feet, just taking a quiet moment to come to terms with the events of the day. So this was the life of a first year university student? Lecture after lecture, piles of notes to skim over, on top of the extra reading of course, and as of yet, she'd made not a single friend.

"Bella!" a voice unexpectedly called to her from behind, making her jump out of her skin. Cautiously turning around she found Jessica Stanley, an old school friend, strolling out of the building towards her. She relaxed a little at the knowledge that crazy Mike Donahue wasn't coming to get her; his large wooden cross and bible in hand. "Hey! How's your first day been?" Jessica grinned before her; looking awfully pleased with herself as she did, "Come on, lets walk" she added as she clung onto Bella's arm, barely giving her a moment to grab her things. Bella staggered along with her, disgruntled at the sudden shift in movement. "Oh, well, you know, a little daunting at first, but mostly fine…" a humble Bella replied, tossing her bag back onto her back.

"Well mines been great so far. I've joined like ten different social clubs already" Jessica went on animatedly; her hands expressing her enthusiasm, whilst she was apparently still very much in love with the sound of her own voice. "I also put my name down for class president, I know it's a little crazy but I've got such a rush for responsibility this year. I think it really suits my personality. Don't you think?"

"Erm, yeah, sure, why not!" Bella politely agreed. Although pairing the term 'responsible' with Jessica Stanley seemed a little farfetched.

"So did you have a good summer?" the blonde quickly changed the subject.

A blasé' shrug of the shoulders accompanied Bella's response. "Yeah I guess; my dad got married, that was pretty great".

"Aw, that's awesome. And speaking of boys, I heard this really bizarre rumour about you".

"You did?" Bella's brow puckered, her eyes blinking with care. One guess what that could be about.

"Well it's totally insane if you ask me, but, I figured it was best to just ask you right out, you know, just get it over with. You know what these gossipers are like Bella, if things aren't put straight, they just escalate into something hideous. And being one of my oldest friends, I wouldn't want that for you" she turned to her, looking almost sincere.

"Go on…" Bella proceeded cautiously, and Jessica gladly complied.

"Well I can't remember the major details, but, something about you and Edward, you know, being together now".

"Oh…" Well that wasn't a surprise. "Right, who told you that?"

"Just some people from our old school. I can't remember who exactly," she waved it off. "I figured they were joking anyway, I mean, he is your brother after all" she flashed an uncomfortable smile; it was common knowledge that Jessica Stanley had a major crush on Edward Cullen, and by the look of her current expression, Jessica was well aware her dreams were about to be shattered.

"Right, well you know were not actually related. I mean we are, because of our parents being married now, but, we're not blood related or anything" explained Bella, while Jessica nodded back, listening intently with eyes so wide; clearly waiting for that distinct yes or no response. Glancing away Bella sighed in exasperation; she'd long dreaded this moment.

"Erm, but, yeah, for once your sources are correct".

Jessica's smile wavered. "What?"

"Edward and I, were together now, officially" Bella told her with careful consideration; Jessica Stanley may well be Queen of the Gossip world, poking her nose in business that didnt concern her, but Bella would never want to hurt her feelings.

"No way?" her voice softened.

"I'm afraid so".

"Wow" she appeared momentarily distraught, however it passed within the length of a breath, "well that's just… congratulations. I mean, its pretty weird, no offence or anything, it's just because I've always known you as brother and sister, its just, well, wow, what an unexpected turn around. I guess it makes sense though, you won't exactly have to sit through the awkwardness of meeting the in laws, because, well, they're already your parents" she laughed overtly, while Bella managed the smallest of smiles in return.

"Yeah, I guess. I never really thought about it".

"Well lucky you anyway, I'm sure you'll make a great couple" Bella felt touched at her words, knowing beyond anything else, Jessica always meant well. "I have to get going anyway. Presidential stuff. I'll catch you later" grinned the perky blonde, before scurrying off with a noticeable frown on her face; disappointed to learn Edward was no longer on the market. Bella spent a minimal amount of time feeling sorry for her, before loneliness once again took over. No matter how annoying Jessica Stanley could be, at least she was a familiar face. An unexpected longing for her past School life hit Bella hard. Change was harder than she'd thought.

"Bella?" another voice sounded out, but this one higher in pitch; musical almost. A distinct characteristic of her beloved best friend. "Hey it is you!" exclaimed the petite little lady, as she rushed up towards her.

"Alice" Bella sighed with ease. "Boy am I glad to see you" a relieved Bella walked up to her. Thankful for Alice's excellent timing.

The pixies grin grew wide at that, and she embraced her friend in a loving hug. "What's up?"

Bella found warmth and a sense of hominess in their hug; a battery in desperate need of recharging, and Alice could certainly provide that. "Oh, nothing much" she told her as they pulled away. "The usual really, Jessica Stanley fills me in on the latest gossip, this one being a little closer to home though; I'm not sure whether to feel flattered or not" smirked Bella with a lazy, lopsided smile.

"Come on Bella, you didn't expect something as juicy as your relationship with Edward Cullen to just slide right by did you?"

"Well I had hoped, but I guess I was just being irrational".

"They're gossip mongers Bella, they're like FBI's, nothing gets past them" she smiled; her eyes offering her sympathy. "So how's your first day been?"

Bella shrugged in response, not wanting to go into too many details. "Alright. Lots of forms to fill in, lots of people I don't recognise, the odd death threat thrown in now and then … How about you?"

"Same really, minus the death threat" she chuckled. "So far the only thing that's getting me through the day, is knowing I get to see Jasper in…" she glanced at her watch, "precisely 12 minutes actually" she practically squealed; rising a little onto her tiptoes. "I'm heading over to his room before lunch, you want to come?"

A warm smile crossed Bella's face; nothing made Bella happier (aside from the obvious) to witness Alice finally being in a loving committed relationship. The excitement radiated off her, and her happiness was contagious. "That's alright; I wouldn't want to get in the way; 3rd wheel and all".

Alice's head tilted to one side. "You wouldn't be in the way Bella".

"Well thanks for the offer, but I think I'm just going to grab some lunch from the canteen, maybe phone Edward, see if he's around here somewhere".

"Fair enough, but if you change your mind, were in the Berry Anne building, room 209". Bella gave her friend a parting embrace, a small nod of the head, before watching her walk away.

Once again Bella's smile started to waver. Why did it feel like everyone on campus had something to celebrate, every student Bella Swan locked eyes with had a broad beaming smile, was she missing something?

…

A pensive Bella crossed the expansive grassy green campus and headed towards the University Canteen, the grumble of her stomach alerting her it was time for food. And while she passed her fellow students, most already in their cluster of friendship groups, there were the odd one or two students who aimlessly strolled by company-less. That filled her with some contentment; knowing she wasn't the only one at present lacking a friend.

The smell of food as it drifted out from the open door up ahead attacked her senses, but before she could enter the building and put her incessant mouth watering to rest, the most beautiful and attractive sound brought her to a halt. Turning her head towards the laughter, her now illuminative eyes searched for him.

The feeling, as always was indescribable. Butterflies turned to bats as soon as Bella saw him, her toes curling in her shoes to see him standing barely 20 feet away from her. But when her eyes tore away from Edward, and towards the group of friends that surrounded him, Bella's heart began to sink, the nervous feeling she'd experienced all day intensified, and much worse, she felt so out of place, like a sore thumb that really shouldn't be there.

The question was, was it because the majority of his friends were tall, tanned and beautiful women? Or was it simply because he had friends and she currently didn't.

As Bella watched them intently, she contemplated turning back, traipsing back to her room where she could curl up on their single bed, wrap the duvet around her body and feel sorry for herself. But like a sudden flash of light, Edwards eyes had found her, and any decision she could have made, was made for her.

"Bella!"

She lingered in the same position, her hand offering a feeble wave as she plastered on her best smile, although it wasn't exactly hard to smile for Edward. "Hi, sorry, I didn't want to interrupt" she told him as he walked towards her.

"Interrupt?" He flashed her a look of bemusement, as he rooted on the spot before her. "Interrupt what?" he questioned her with a smile, and all she could do was awkwardly roll her shoulders.

"Come meet my friends" he eagerly clasped onto her hand, encouraging her towards them.

"Sure" she swallowed hard, having a mild internal panic attack as she approached them. She knew she shouldn't be intimidated, but she was new to this, She already felt _way _out of her depth with Uni life, not to mention it had taken her so long to come to terms with Tanya, that friend of Edwards, and now she was faced with a dozen of them. "Sounds great" she forced back her insecurities as best she could; trying to see the positive in meeting new people.

"Guys" he called their attention, and like the ring leader of the pack, they all obeyed, "this is Bella, the one I mentioned".

The response was filled with 'Oh's and Aw's" from the girls of the group, while the only other male compadre' smirked back.

"Mentioned? More like talked about none stop" he joked, playfully whacking Edward on the arm. "You turned into the dream woman for awhile there, when you failed to materialize. Truthfully I was worried you were just a figment of his imagination; I was considering sending him to a counsellor" the happy-go-lucky guy informed her, and Bella's cheeks began to glow, she couldn't help the snicker that spluttered from her lips.

Edward shuffled awkwardly on his feet, "Yeah, you're real funny Jack" he grinned in sarcasm. "You should know that these aren't my real friends Bella" he turned to his girlfriend, "I just hang around with them to help make them look good really. You know how it is with charity work" he teased, and Bellas close-lipped smile turned into a toothy grin.

"Yeah right, that's what he says, but in reality, he's hanging by a string. Mostly were just here to babysit him".

"What ever you say Jackyboy!" Edward tapped his friend on the back, grinning wildly. "Now if you'll excuse us, were going to go over there and have a grownup conversation, I doubt you'd know much about that" smirked Edward, as he took Bella's hand, leading her away from the crowd and towards the wall nearest the canteen.

"You're a heartbreaker Cullen!" his friend's voice called back to him, and Edward waved him off with a laugh.

"Sorry about him, he's such a joker".

"No, he seemed really nice, they all did" she told him, feeling pride to be a witness to Edward in his student environment. Never had she seen him interact with his friends, and thankfully it wasnt as scary as predicted. It was a pleasure to see in fact.

"So how's your day been?" he asked with enthusiasm, but found it quickly diminish at the vulnerable expression on her face.

"Its fine" Bella looked anywhere but his eyes.

"You're lying".

She all-but rolled her eyes, chancing a look at him, absorbing his concern for her and sensing his growing tension. "Ok, so it hasn't been great, my first Psych lecture went well, it just started to go down hill during my elective, which I've dropped now and will never again be repeating… It's all just a little overwhelming. And kind of intimidating".

"Well, thats understandable" he told her, "this isn't high school anymore".

As if she needed reminding. "No, you've got that right".

"Look I know you had high hopes for this year, probably too high now I think about it, and with yesterday and the beds and everything, its not surprising you're feeling down. But, you've just got to deal with it. I know that sounds harsh, but this Uni life, you've just got to get on with it and hope for the best. Its not going to be easy, nothing in life is you know that, but you'll get through it, its day one Bella, things will look brighter tomorrow, I assure you".

"Having friends would also help" she pouted; feeling miserable.

"You'll make friends" he took a step closer towards her, clasping both of her hands. "Don't worry about that. I didn't make mine until at least the 2nd week, just give it time".

Her pout retracted and she eventually nodded back, pulling herself together. She wasn't a child anymore. She was a grown up and it was time to start acting like one.

"I'm going to grab some lunch, you want anything?" she asked him.

"No I already ate, but thanks. I can come with you if you want?"

"That's alright; I'll be back out in a bit".

…

Standing in the sandwich line Bella grabbed a tray, holding it up to her chest protectively. She shuffled along every few seconds, as each student took their desired meal, when she reached the end, she felt completely torn for choice.

"You should take the crayfish" a tall shadow of a person appeared behind her, making her jump. A flash of those pretty strawberry blonde curls coming into awareness, told Bella it was Tanya, that friend of Edwards. The one she'd spent many a time loathing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you".

"You didn't…" Bella offered a smile, turning back to face the sandwich shelves, "So, crayfish huh?"

"Yeah, crayfish or southern fried chicken salad, that's also a good choice, avoid the ham and cheese though, there's mustard on it" she pulled a disgusted face. "Unless, you like mustard?" she recoiled, hoping she hadn't offended.

"Definitely not" chuckled Bella, "thanks for the tip" Bella grabbed the first choice, Crayfish Salad and placed it onto her tray. "Anything else I should know?"

"Well, not really, just make sure you maximize your food intake as best as possible. For instance, things like fruit, juice boxes, snacks, you hide _subtly_ in any available pocket or bag, that's your breakfast and break for tomorrow" she informed her, as she grabbed a couple of apples, cereal bars and juice boxes and descreetly hid them in her bag.

"Wow, sounds like you've learned the trade".

"Well, after watching everybody else do it for the first few weeks of Uni, you kind of catch on. And it's not as if it's stealing. We've paid the contract after all" she lowered her voice a little.

"You've really thought this one through, huh" Bella mused.

"Yeah, well I spent awhile determining what was stealing, and what was… owed to us as students. I figured with the amount of calories we burn with all the stress and hard work they put us through, we deserve the odd treat now and then. It's all about give and take really".

"Well, I like your logic".

"Thanks" Tanya grinned delightedly, before conversation started to fade. "Well I'll, leave you to it anyway" she awkwardly excused herself, turning on her heel to walk away.

"Wait…" Bella called her back, temporarily moving out of the line to avoid a hold up. "Look, I'm sorry … I think, maybe I owe you an apology" a small solemn smile quirked Tanya's lips and she signalled to the table beside them; taking a seat Bella angled her chair towards her. "I'm not really sure how to say this without making myself sound like a total bitch, I guess it's inevitable" Bella spoke slowly, smiling sadly as she looked down at the table. "I think it's safe to say I barely looked you in the eye the first time we met, and if I'm totally honest with you, I spent weeks labelling you as public enemy number one. And I had no right to... You wouldn't believe how paranoid I became this year" a thoughtful smile lifted Bella's lips, as she reminisced over the past few months. "Any woman that got within two feet of Edward suddenly became my arch nemesis. I felt so intimidated by you, which is crazy because I didn't even know you" Bella looked into her eyes; for the first time that day finding herself feeling at ease. Tanya wasnt judgemental, nor a man-stealer as Bella previously deduced, she was simply a genuine kind-hearted person. "And if anything, I should've been thanking you. You were there for Edward when I couldn't be. And if it wasn't for you, Edward and I probably wouldn't even be together right now. We'd still be going back and forth in that drama of a relationship, both too stupid to realise how we felt. I guess what I'm trying to say is, thank you. I'm really grateful you were there to guide him. You've been a good friend to him, I realise that now."

Tanya's bubbly and confident persona turned coy at Bella's thanks. "I only did what Edward would do for anyone else. But I'm glad I could help. Honestly, I've seen such a change in him this last week, from how he was a few months ago, to now, it's like he's a new man, he radiates with excitement and energy. I hope you know that that's because of you, because of how happy you make him" her eyes narrowed a little with intensity and meaning. "You don't have to be intimidated Bella, by anyone, I think what you both went through with your family, the risks you took, tells anyone just how much you love each other".

Bella's face glowed at Tanya's words, and it took every ounce of strength she had not to run right out the building and jump into Edwards arms.

"Look, not that I want to sound like I'm forcing myself onto you or anything" Tanya went on with a smirk. "But, you're important to Edward, which means you're important to me too, well, I'd like you to be... Besides, I'm always up for making new friends, if, you'll have me?"

"Are you recruiting?" Bella cocked an eyebrow.

"No, but I do take in special cases" she joked back.

Bella laughed in return; delighed at making a new friend, "Well, that's probably the best offer I've had all day".

"Great" Tanya's white teeth extended from cheek to cheek. "Look, why don't you go pay for your sandwich and I'll hold our table".

"Sounds good".

…

Exhaustion loomed by the time Bella reached her room level come 4.30pm. The day had been exceptionally drawn-out, the morning feeling as if it was punishment, although for what for she was unsure about. The afternoon had transformed into a pleasant surprise however, a much needed pleasant surprise.

"Hey you're back!" Edward rose to his feet to welcome her in; he'd grown impatient at her lack of show.

"Yep, I have finally returned" she gave him a pathetic wave before shutting the door behind her. She took a breath as she leant into the door, hoping for some quiet time, however Edward had no such plans.

"Are you ok?" he questioned her, and she responded with a gentle _hmm?_ "You're not like, having a breakdown are you?" he asked with a nervous quiver. "Where were you anyway? I looked for you after lunch but I couldn't find you anywhere".

"Oh, sorry I was…" she placed a hand to her head, before the words seemed to escape her. Her mind was somewhere else, as her eyes took in the sight of the space before her. "Edward, did you do this?" she dropped her bag absentmindedly to her feet, and walked over towards the centre of the room, where a double bed now sat with pride. The large (and previously immovable) wardrobes had been moved to the far sides of the room, and the two single beds had been pushed together to make one large king-sized bed; exactly how she'd once pictured it.

"Oh, yeah, I got Jack and some of the guys to help me out, the wardrobes took some shifting, but we managed. We'll just have to make sure we move it all back before the years out" he told her. "Will it do?" he enquired, looking oddly hesitant.

"Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed, bewildered by her boyfriends uncertainty. "It's perfect" she stood before it, admiring its spaciousness as she ran a hand over the covers. "You are amazing" she turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck to give him a kiss.

"Well ..." he started modestly, "yeah" he joked cockily. Swooping her up he sat on the bed; cradling her in his arms. "So how was your afternoon? I want to know everything. I've been really worried about you" he said as he shuffled his way to the head of the bed, resting his back on the wall as he cushioned her in his lap. Finally he could relax.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you" she laid her head on his chest; taking his hand in her own. "It's actually gone pretty great though".

"Really? How's that? I was about to get the anti-depressants out earlier."

"I know" she smiled into him, "I guess I was a little crazy. Just hoping everything would fall into place within the first hour or something. I was just being unrealistic".

"What changed?"

"Well, talking to you helped a lot; I realised I just need to take each day as it comes. No point in getting ahead of yourself, right?" she told him, and he cuddled her closer; only loving her more. "Plus my afternoon lecture ended up being really fun; we did some group activities so I got to chat to a couple of people; they were really nice. But, I guess the best part of it was, I made a friend".

"Aw, that's great. I told you you'd find someone" he squeezed her hand supportively. "What's she like?"

"Pretty amazing actually. Tall, strawberry blonde hair, funny, very beautiful, goes by the name Tanya".

Edward gave a knowing nod; like he should've guessed Tanya would find a way to worm her way in; not that he minded of course. "Tanya huh?" he smiled back fondly.

"Yeah, is that alright?" she angled herself to look at him.

"Alright? It's fantastic! What's mine is yours remember" he grinned, kissing her on the cheek.

"I remember" she beamed back, hugging herself into his side.

**A/N: Ok, so despite the lack of B/E time, I hope you enjoyed it. It was very Uni central I know. And I hope you don't think I've put a really negative spin on University life. I know how much fun it can be, but for me especially, it's so overwhelming and a little scary the first few weeks of starting. **

**Only one last chapter to go now! Can't believe its coming to an end, although I am happy about where they're headed. I feel like the characters have come along way from how it started. Despite their on-going battles, they're alot stronger than they give themselves credit for, especially Bella!**

**Finale' - I'll try to include a bit of everything if possible, maybe less dialogue? as this last chapter was predominantly just that. But it's a firm NO to drama, I think these two deserve some happiness from now on! :) As always, thanks for reading and reviewing; nothing motivates me more!**


	25. Chapter 24  The Finale'

**Hi everyone! I can't believe we've reached the end! :O**

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update this, my laptop broke for one and secondly I really just wanted it to be perfect. Or as perfect as I could make it. **

**I hope you'll enjoy the final instalment with these two, it's quite sentimental, but I think it needed that; nice to have a balance between raw and passionate sex and comfortable love :)**

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You've been awesome to write for! I'm off to Uni in a week or two, so wish me luck =] xxx **

**Chapter 24: The finale'.**

"Well fancy seeing you here".

Bella looked up from her books, placing her almost empty juice drink container on the table, to find her boyfriend standing before her; his bag swung over one shoulder and his auburn hair looking attractively worse for wear. It screamed 'bed head'; which was just the way she liked it.

"Well you know me, like Sunday is God's day, Friday's library day" she smartly declared.

"I hadn't forgotten" he smiled at her fondly, pulling up a chair to sit beside her. He kissed her on the cheek before setting his bag down at his feet. Picking up the plastic drink container he gave it a wiggle; empty, before returning it to its earlier position.

Sinking into silence he sat there watching her, admiring her; his eyes raking her profile, the tiny crease near her brow telling him she was deep in concentration.

Aware of Edward's eyes on her, her head twitched towards him, her eyes however were still on the page. "You just going to sit there watching me?"

"You mind?"

She tore her eyes away from the book with a smile. "Nope, I don't mind being the centre of your attention" she told him, while he ran his fingers through the high ponytail of her hair, giving it a gentle tug as it rest down the length of her back. "But you should know I don't work well under scrutiny, the face turns red after awhile, and beads of sweat start to form on my brow. Just to warn you in advance; it's very unattractive".

He chuckled soundlessly. Finding her adorable. "Well I wouldn't want to put you off your work."

"Already happened unfortunately, it's the affect you have on me. Now I'm more concerned with whether or not I look good, than actually what's on the page" she told him as a matter of fact.

"Well then, if it helps any, you look absolutely radiant today".

"Radiant?" she pulled a face of dread. "Great, that's the sweat kicking in, I told you, it's already starting" she said before smirking, reaching for her bag to pull out her pocket-sized mirror.

"Don't be silly" Edward stole it away from her, "just take my word for it. You've got that whole sexy smart thing going on; especially with that high ponytail. Very sophisticated".

"You like it?" she wiggled her head as a demonstration. "I don't usually wear it back but, I felt like a change".

"I love it, really, it suits you".

"It doesn't look too school girl-ish?" she checked.

"Nah, as long as you avoid a blazer and tie, I don't think you'll run that risk" he answered, and she smiled back coyly, feeling pleased with herself.

"So you feel like taking a break?"

"Sure" she closed the book up; not needing to be asked twice, "what did you have in mind?"

…

"This place is amazing!" gushed Bella, as she lay with her head in Edwards lap, "Like our own little secret hide out" she mused with a smile; gazing up at the cloud-less blue sky above her as Edward raked his fingers through her hair.

"Sounds like we just laid down our territory" Edward surmised, as he leant down to kiss her forehead, but as she shifted her head he found her lips instead.

"Not yet, but were about too" she grinned seductively as she briefly pulled away, pushing herself up she deepened their embrace, a moan of lust catching in the back of her throat as his tongue massaged her own. They were currently sat on the Universities grassy grounds, at the furthest point of the campus. The hustle and bustle of student life seeming like a distant memory to where they were now...

Shuffling herself over Bella sat between his legs, pressing herself into him as they kissed. He cupped her cheek within the palm of his hand, tasting the hint of fruit juice that lingered on her tongue, while he cautiously leant backwards, finding the tree trunk which propped him up; enjoying Bella's power over him.

"Hey hey! Hope we're not interrupting anything!" a voice unexpected, came out from the tree they hid behind, forcing the couple to abort their brewing passion. Turning their heads they saw two of their friends make an appearance. Tanya who looked extremely embarrassed, mortified in fact, for having intruded, Jack on the other hand, looked a little too pleased with himself.

"_So much for our secret hideout"_ Edward muttered through gritted teeth; silently cursing his friends interruption. "Hey guys, so nice to see you." He welcomed them, patting the grass for them to sit on, as Bella moved out of his lap.

"Oh you say that so convincingly Edward" mocked Jack as he took a seat beside his friend. "Just a tip, but try saying it like you mean it next time" he added, giving Edwards arm a playful punch.

"So what are you guys doing here anyway, I mean, apart from the obvious" Jack teased them, while Tanya rolled her eyes.

"We're just taking a break" Edward told him. "I dragged Bella away from the Library. She was two seconds away from becoming a part of the furniture" his eyebrows raised as he eyed his girlfriend.

"Let's not exaggerate" she gave him a long sideways glance. "I just want to be prepared, that's all; it's so easy to fall behind at uni, I don't want that to be me."

"It won't be" Edward told her reassuringly, giving her knee a tender rub.

"Sounds smart if you ask me" Tanya gave a nod, adding her two cents.

"Yeah, that is smart. But you know what they say, opposites do attract" mused Jack.

A close-lipped grin spread across Edward's face. "Yeah, you're right Jack, they do say that. But on a more personal note, how about you guess what my fists saying instead," Edward threatened him playfully; his smug turning from cheek to cheek... Jack grunted in response, his face twisting into a grimace, which earned a light-hearted shove from a delighted Edward.

"Hey so I was thinking" Tanya placed a hand to Bella's arm, gathering her attention. "Did you want to hit the city this weekend? Macy's has a new line out; we could maybe hit the malls and then go for some lunch, what do you say?"

"Oh" Bella paused, plucking at the grass near her feet, "erm, well lunch sounds great, I'm all up for that" she smiled. "But, to be honest with you, I'm kind of not into the whole shopping, fashion thing. Although, I think that's probably pretty obvious" she chuckled, glancing down at the casual clothes she wore, in contrast to Tanya's latest ensemble.

"Don't be silly, you always look great," Tanya smiled, head titling to the side. "Well, that's a shame".

"Yeah" sighed Bella, before something popped into her head. "But, fear not, luckily for both of us, I happen to know someone that would be perfect for you".

…

"Good call setting Alice and Tanya up. I think you saved us both from months of torturous shopping trips".

"Yep, high five me!" they whacked hands. Before Bella's attention wandered back towards her work.

"You're not serious?" a disbelieving Edward stared across at her. "Are you even aware you're starting to get a hunch back?" he told her as he placed his items into a drawer.

"Huh?" answered Bella, who sat at the centre of the bed, crouched over reading a text book; her eyes focused down on the page.

"It's like after 9 in the evening. You shouldn't even be thinking about studying".

"I'm not" she spoke half-heartedly.

"Ok, do you even realise you just said that?" questioned a baffled Edward. And yet she failed to abandon her book.

With an exasperated breath Edward headed for the bed, sitting himself down and shuffling up close behind her.

"Bella?" he removed the hair which clung to her neck, resting it down her back.

"Hmm?" she spoke song-like, but still failed to fully acknowledge him. So when that didn't work, he chose another tactic.

He shuffled closer._ "I have to tell you something"_ his words hummed into her ear; finally shivering her out of her trance. _"I'm growing a little concerned_" his hand crept down the bare length of her leg, stunning her rigid. Goosebumps prickled her skin in excitement.

"_Concerned?"_ her breath came out swift and jagged. The words on the page now meaningless. Like a sheet of black and white patches.

"_Well, anyone would think you cared more about that book you're reading, than me"_ he taunted her, his hand rubbing her through her night shorts.

She couldn't help the moan that almost clogged the back of her throat. _"As if that's even possible" _she drawled through her pleasure; his touch massaging her in the most tantalizing way possible. Multi-coloured spots were starting to haze her vision.

"_So…? As for the book?"_ he prompted her.

"_What book?"_ she answered innocently. Pushing it away with the limited strength and mental capacity he'd left her with.

He removed his hand, focusing on the length of her neck with his lips. And as she angled herself towards him, their lips meeting in a heated kiss, he shifted over, lying down on top of her to seal her in.

Edward kissed her passionately. Bella's mind turning a blur. So much so, that as he hooked a hand beneath her thigh, hitching her leg up around his waist, she automatically ground into him, the bulge between his legs poking and probing her teasingly.

He'd caught her attention now, no doubt about it. He'd left her breathless, with the dorkiest smile spread across her face; her glassy eyes now gazing up at the ceiling seeing an expanse of twinkling fairy lights. "So listen" she said dreamily, "I think I'm turning into a bookworm" she admitted as he kissed the area just above and between her breasts.

"Really?" he smiled pulling away to look at her. "I never would've guessed" he humoured her.

She grinned, forcing a pout, "Are you mad at me?"

"Never" he kissed the tip of her nose. "As long as you promise me, you will never, by any means possible, ever love a book more than you love me".

She wrapped both legs around his waist. "I promise" her lips quirking that much more.

"Who'd have thought it ey? I mean, I've always enjoyed a little light reading, but it's like I have a thirst for it now… Boy if my dad could see me now, he'd be so proud" she mused.

Edward's brow twitched comically. "Actually, I think if your dad saw you now, he'd probably ground you for life, and I'd be on the number 1 most wanted list" Edward smirked back, causing Bella to snicker.

"True that. Very true"…

…

"Bella? ... Remember when I used to sneak into your room at 3 in the morning?" Edward spoke out from the silence, as they lay side by side beneath the duvet.

"Yeah" she sighed, her mind drifting back to the memories.

He craned his head towards her in wonder. "Do you ever miss it?"

Bella's head turned to address him. "Do I miss what exactly? The unpredictability of our relationship? The sneaking around? The almost getting busted by our parents?" she relayed, perplexed.

"I don't know" he began, a furrow to his brow, before correcting. "No, not that. More, how I used to surprise you when you least expected it".

She thought silently to herself for a moment, reminiscing about the past. The time they'd spent together had been extraordinarily passionate; he'd spun her head in ways she couldn't even imagine. She grew excited at just the thought of it. But it didn't take much to answer that question. "Truthfully? … No, I don't" she answered simply.

"No?" he questioned in a smirk, surprised by her answer. "It was that bad?"

"No, it was amazing" she told him as she shuffled onto her side. "Like, fireworks in the sky amazing…" her eyes radiated with passion as she unconsciously licked her lips. "But if you're asking me if I miss it, if I was to compare or pick which one I preferred, how we were back then to how we are today, I'd choose today ten times over, every time" she confirmed, analyzing his eyes. "Because nothing means more to me, than how solid we are right now".

"Really?"

She nodded back, eyes turning soft with emotion. "Yeah… Edward, I wish you could feel what I experience every time I wake up with you next to me" she told him. "You have no idea how much it killed me back then, to have you there one minute, and then to close my eyes and have you gone the next…" Tears automatically welled up in her eyes. "I hated waking up everyday knowing you weren't going to be lying beside me. It was almost like, it never even happened".

He nodded back silently, swallowing hard. "I remember" he hushed thoughtfully. "I felt it too… and you know what, I'd never want to go back to that place," he spoke with honesty.

They took a moment then to simply gaze into each others eyes; enjoying the silence whilst revelling in each others presence. They'd come along way, both stronger and wiser as individuals, but as a couple, their commitment, love and support for each other felt as high and as mighty as a rocket ship. Maybe it had taken them awhile to get there, and their methods hadn't exactly been ideal, but it'd made them what they were today, and by no means would they ever want to change that…

"I should get up. Have a shower" Edward lay on the bed naked and motionless beside his girlfriend. "Except… that would involve moving."

A chuckle passed Bella's lips. "Yep, that is the drawback to cleanliness" she noted as she hugged the quilt to her chest.

"Hmm, so is it really worth it, that's the question" he pondered out loud "…so what if I lay here naked, doused in my sweat, not to mention yours" he gave her a sneaky sideways glance, "is anyone really going to care" he chuckled soundlessly. Making the mistake of glancing to his left, where Bella lay; the expression on her face meant he got the message straight away; and apparently unlike Edward, she did care.

"Right, I guess I'll be back in awhile then" he rolled his eyes, reluctantly forcing himself out of bed, he pecked her forehead before he trudged his way towards the shower room. Closing the door behind him he jumped in the shower cubicle...

Bella smiled fondly after him. Love swelling and warming her heart. Now seemed like the perfect time to check in with the parents, which she did, taking ten minutes aside to summarise their week just gone, to a more than proud Charlie and Esme' Swan.

Placing her phone down onto the bedside table, and with Edward still very much shower-bound, she found herself slipping out of bed. She pattered her way across the floor, flipping over her suitcase where she dug her hand into the side-zipped compartment in search of something.

There it was, she smiled as she retrieved the item from the depths of her case. For the first time in days, weeks even, it had barely crossed her mind, but now, sat alone with her thoughts, she felt a deep and meaningful extract coming along.

Grabbing a pen she tiptoed back towards the bed, leaning up with her back against the pillow, legs bent in front of her and the duvet wrapped around her frame, she slit the book open, addressing the following free page.

_Dear diary,_

_It's been awhile I know, I honestly expected to see more of you these past few weeks. I was anticipating further written therapy, possibly in conjunction with anti-depressants. I know it may sound extreme, but there were times when I could've quite easily given up. Charlie was about as receptive as a brick wall and the strain on my relationship with Edward was starting to niggle at me. _

_I should note that as I'm writing this, I'm smiling, because thankfully that's all a distant memory now. Charlie knows everything. My relationship with Edward is beyond perfect, despite our occasional disagreements, and I'm currently sat on my bed in our student accommodation, a first year University student as of this last week... _

_Edwards in the bathroom, humming some ridiculous song that he heard off the radio, but I don't mind, it tells me that he's happy, which honestly, fills me up with something a cant even describe, just knowing that I'm a part of that. _

_I can't tell you how long I've waited for this day, who'd have thought 5 months ago that this would've all worked out so well. I certainly wouldn't have. And I'll tell you what, it was worth the wait. _

_I know it won't be easy, life is far from that. Like a winding road, who knows which direction you'll go, or which path you'll decide to take, but in the end you aim at one thing, happiness, commitment, family. Ok, so maybe not just one thing. _

_I'm not naïve, I know that we'll probably argue, say things we don't mean, and at times be unable to stand even the sight of each other, but everyday I remind myself of how far we've come. That through all the lies, the illicit agreements, the sex, the arguments, the almosts and near-misses, we came out on top. We survived… each other, our parents, society, and even ourselves. _

_So if someone was to ask me if No Strings Attached Sex ever works, I'd say NO straight away, I'd say that deep down you're fooling no one, that you're probably already in love with that person, and are just making up excuses to save face. But who cares, love isn't shameful, it happens when you least expect it, and quite possibly, with someone you least expected it to be. But you can't help who you fall for. That's what happened to me anyway. And if I've learnt anything, it's that love happens only once, and no matter what, if that connection and feeling is so strong, don't give up on it. Because in the end, it's the greatest and proudest gift you'll ever bear… well, at present anyway, in the future who knows, we might be prouder of something else then. A baby Edward comes to mind…I won't mention that to him yet though... _

_I'm signing out now, maybe forever, maybe until next week, who knows, but thanks for listening. _

_Bella Swan xxx_

She signed her name, feeling pleased with what she'd written and grateful for following her gut instinct all those months ago. Writing a diary had turned into a blessing in disguise. It had created the perfect output of therapy, for a quite complicated and trying time in her life.

"Hey, what are you doing?" her heart jumped a frantic beat, so absorbed in her writing; Edwards presence beside her had become unnoticed.

"Hey" she smiled warmly, placing a hand to her chest. "Oh, I'm just…"

"Writing in your diary?" he added for her.

"Yeah…" she felt her cheeks start to swell with embarrassment. "It's kinda silly I know".

"No it's not" he perched himself beside her. "There are times when I wish I'd written one" admitted Edward.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. A chance to look back in 10 years time and remember everything I went through, the good and the bad. I think it's a great idea. It's your life on paper". He shrugged.

She paused thoughtfully, stroking a hand across its surface as if it was precious. "I want you to read it" she handed it to him, her eyes filled with hope and sentimentality.

"What?" he questioned her, half-smiling, she'd caught him off guard with that one. "No, Bella, I couldn't, it's yours, it's personal".

"But I want you too. I started writing it when we first got together, so it's not all positive, but, it's what I went through. Like you said, it's my life on paper. A small portion of it anyway. But it's important to me, its my life with you".

He looked at her intently.

"Please, just read it" she told him, placing the diary in his lap before she walked away.

The shower triggered a moment later, and it was now Edward left alone with the diary. As asked by Bella, he obeyed her wish, re-living their life over the past 4 months; the up's and the many downs. But this time, it was like he was spending a moment within her mind. All of her fears about their relationship, the times when she'd been determined to stop, to the times when she'd realised she loved him. She'd described it as a roller coaster ride, or a turbulent plane journey, and seeing it on paper, it really was just that.

…

"Edward?" Bella returned from the bathroom to find herself alone. With a moment of brief panic she ventured towards the bed, finding the diary left half-way open, and a tiny note on the pillow beside it.

_Back in 10! I love you, E xxx_

Picking up the diary she took note of the last written page, expecting to find her latest written passage. But what she found was a different entry. Written in someone else's handwriting. Taking a seat on the bed she began to read…

_I've never been a big believer in God, fate, anything really. I just figured what happened in life, just happened. That was until I met Bella. _

_For the record, 'Bella' means beautiful in Italian, and boy were they right about that. From the second I'd laid eyes on her, even at the tender age of 14, I was smitten. Teasing and toying with her became quite simply, just an excuse to be near her, touch her, to keep her in my life. So I guess it shouldn't be a surprise to you, that I was the one that initiated the No Strings Attached Sex pact. _

_Yes, I am the genius that started it! And while looking back it may not have been my greatest moment, I don't regret a thing. Because through the sneaking around and constant frenzy, I was a witness to something amazing... Bella. She grew into the most astounding young woman. A woman that can stand her ground, that will fight for what she believes in, and above all do everything she can to protect the one thing she loves most of all, her family life. _

_So for me, despite all that unfortunate heartache, what happened along the way is now my proudest moment of all. I watched her grow, from a delicate petal into a full blooming flower. And I hope that as she looks into the mirror tomorrow morning, she'll see exactly what I'm talking about. _

_Bella, you're right in what you said, love is the greatest gift of all. Loving you is like a dream come true, but to have you love me back, means more to me than I can possibly say. Oh and, you should know, I'm also not opposed to a Baby Bella =]_

_Love always, Edward xxx_

Bella sat on the bed, choking back her threatening sobs. She re-read the passage several times, and every time she did, she only loved him more and more. Closing the diary with a warm-hearted smile, a tear trickling down the side of her cheek, she placed it onto the bedside table.

As if on cue, a key scrambled in the lock, the door swinging open a second later.

"Hey gorgeous" he greeted her, now fully changed and accompanied with a bottle of champagne, plastic cups and a box of her favourite chocolates.

"Edward?" she smiled, wiping away her tears, "what is all of this?"

"A long overdue celebration" he told her, shuffling off his shoes before he approached the bed, taking a seat beside her.

"It's just my way of saying … thank you," her brow twitched, unsure of where this was heading. "Your diary brought it all back, as if I could forget, but, this time, it was like seeing it through your eyes" her head dipped sheepishly, before she returned to meet his eyes. "I just needed to tell you, that I love you" he touched her cheek. "And thank you, for not giving up on me, on us… I was an idiot. And I can't believe it took me until almost the last minute to realise how much I loved you. I guess I'm lacking in brain cells or something" he joked with a soft laugh. "...but anyone else would've given up. Even at the worst times, like dealing with your dad, you still held on. I had it easy with my mom, but I can't imagine what you went through with Charlie. I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of you, and that I love you".

The tears pooled in her eyes once more. _"I love you more" _she sobbed happily. Never having felt an emotion as strong and as warm as this.

"Not a chance," he leant forward kissing her lips, before he gently padded away her shimmering cheek.

"So what do you say, shall we crack this baby open?" he grinned, and she nodded back, laughing as she placed her hands to cover her ears.

"Ready? … Three… two… one…"

_*Pop*_

**THE END! Thanks for reading =]**_ xxx  
_


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